


We Can Go On Forever (When Everything’s Gone Forever)

by jurassiclouis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bottom Louis, Fluff, Knotting, M/M, Mating Rituals, Non-Famous AU, Non-Graphic Smut, Omega Louis, Professor!Harry, University of Cambridge - Freeform, mpreg mentions, teacher!Louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:15:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 39,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21985753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jurassiclouis/pseuds/jurassiclouis
Summary: Harry spent most of his adult life focused on either his studies or his books - 5 of which he has already had published before he was 30. Immediately after completing his dissertation, he was offered a lectureship at Cambridge University where he’s been for 2 years now.This wasn’t the first time in his life that he had felt the incessant itch to know more about a subject by any means. However, this was the first time the subject had been an Omega.Prompt: Fluff (a/b/o) AU / University History Professor and Kindergarten teacherAKA, I got way too into the academic side of this prompt and will not apologise
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 30
Kudos: 727
Collections: Bottom Louis Fic Fest 2019





	We Can Go On Forever (When Everything’s Gone Forever)

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I honestly can’t believe this is the fic that almost wasn’t. I had some calamity happening in my real life and thought I wasn’t going to finish this. Thank you to BLFF for accommodating my extension and organizing this whole thing. You’re the real MVPs. 
> 
> It’s been years since I’ve written any sort of fic and it’s a feeling that I missed much more than I thought. I hope my writing and style have improved over these last few years, as reading my old published fics makes me cringe.
> 
> Please forgive me for any butchering of the United Kingdom’s postgraduate education system. I tried to do as much research as I could, but I’m sure I slipped up somewhere. I drew a lot of experience from America’s further education as I’m quite versed in that. If you do find something off, please tell me and I would be happy to fix it.
> 
> On that note, the exhibitions and programs in this fic are very real and very interesting. All credit goes to the brilliant minds who put everything together, I just happened to write about them. I did also change some things about both the exhibit and the history outreach program.
> 
> Ideally, I would’ve liked another month with this fic. To rewrite and rewrite again, but it’s almost better to have a due date because then I don’t have an excuse to keep putting it off.
> 
> This was briefly beta’d, but I change the most random parts at different times while rereading it, so I’m almost 100% sure there’s a slip up somewhere on here. ALSO, shout out to my excessive use of passive voice - a habit I have not been able to quit since I began writing in grade 6. Sorry.
> 
> Also, I’ve never written A/B/O before. I tried very hard to create a Universe for this fic that is a little bit different than the norm now, even if that just meant changing how “courting” happens. Honestly, I really enjoyed writing about it and wouldn’t mind continuing writing different worlds of H/L in this same Universe.
> 
> To the person who submitted this prompt: thank you, first of all. I loved the idea enough to ramble on in my longest fic to date. I hope I didn’t go too crazy for you in my deep dive into more of the academic side. I’m 100% used to writing angst and writing a fluffy fic was challenging (but I do think I achieved some major cheezzzz-ey vibes throughout). 
> 
> Thank you for reading this (if you did, haha) note and thanks in advance for reading the actual fic. I would love to hear your thoughts on everything. 
> 
> Title is from Lewis Watson

****

**_September, 2016_ **

“Mum, it’s going to be okay. I swear, you’re more nervous than I am,” Louis sighed into his phone. He had it balanced against his shoulder as he fidgeted and rearranged his desk _again_ , waiting for his first student to walk in.

His mother didn’t respond right away, making Louis nervous for the response. “Well, you know I don’t understand why you chose to stay so far away from us,” she finally said, her tone making Louis think she was trying very, very hard not to be annoyed with him.

“I will never get another chance to work for a better school. Cambridge, mum, _Cambridge.”_

“Cambridge Primary School, Louis - you’re teaching nursery! It’s not like you’re working for the bloody university!” she corrected.

Louis took a breath in through his nose to calm down. He had explained to his mother countless times what his new job was and she still acted like he was a glorified babysitter. “I _am_ working for the University actually and you know that. This is my best chance to really hone in on a career path and decide if I want to go back to further my education.”

“More school, Louis? What’s the poin-”

“Mum, I’m not going to have this argument with you again right before I start my first proper job. If you aren’t going to say congratulations or good luck, I’m going to go,” he cut her off to say feeling himself get more emotional than he wanted to be at 7:15 in the morning. 

Another pause and a long breath on his mother’s part. “You know I’m just concerned, lovie,” she said softly. 

Louis loved his mother with all of his soul. She was a fierce Omega figure in his life and she gave her everything to her family even after two failed bonds, but she didn’t understand that Louis wasn’t ready to settle down. She thought him going to university was some sort of phase that he would grow out of and that he would move back home to find a nice Alpha. 

“I know,” he responded, practically a whisper. “But I’m excited and I hoped you would be too.”

“You’ll do great, boo. I know you will,” she assured him. There was a shuffling noise on her side and she let out a little coo, “oh, Lou, one of the twins is waking up. I’ll call you tonight to see how things went, alright?”

“Sounds good, mum,” he said, secretly a little relieved that the conversation would be ending. “I love you.”

“I love you too, pup. Good luck.”

Once she hung up, Louis let out a deep sigh and put his phone down. He still had thirty minutes before his 12 new reception students were set to arrive. Usually he was perpetually late to everything in his life, but he got here extra early today to make sure for the hundredth time that every single thing was in order. 

Just as he was getting up to make himself a cup of tea in the teacher’s lounge (his second already), there was a soft knock at his door. It was already open, ready to welcome anyone on the first day and Niall, the only other reception teacher, was standing in the threshold with his mate Liam.

“Hiya, Lou!” he said enthusiastically. The two of them were already quite friendly with one another, having attended the same meetings and team building exercises throughout the summer. He held out his hand, holding a small, brown paper box. “I brought you some pastries to pick from. Just for us though, can’t have the vultures from year two snooping around.” 

“I’m going to get back to work now,” Liam said quietly, kissing Niall on the forehead and waving goodbye to Louis. “Have a great first day, you two!”

“Thanks for the pastries,” Niall called after him. 

“Don’t eat too many!” Liam called back, giving the two of them a wink.

Liam Payne, Niall’s husband of four years and mate of five, was their education liaison with the University of Cambridge and had been since their opening two years ago. The University of Cambridge Primary School was the first of its kind and is run as a free school by the university itself, most of the children who attended had parents that either taught or attended Cambridge. The primary school, in turn, was used for educational research. 

This is where Liam worked between the two schools. He wasn’t in charge, by any means, but the position was quite the promotion from two years prior when he was lecturing full time. He still taught one class twice a week to stay on top of his academic career and because he enjoyed it so much. 

This meant Louis had also grown used to his presence over the summer, the Alpha leading meetings and popping in and out wherever he was needed. He still held an office at Cambridge, but he visited the primary school often.

“Who is he kidding? We’re going to eat the whole box,” Niall sniffed, opening them to show Louis. He recognized the box as being from the cafe down the road, but he had only ever seen it in passing.

Louis smiled widely, already spying a pain of chocolat calling his name. “I was just about to make meself a cup of tea. Want to join me?”

“I would, but my classroom’s a right state. I’m leaving everything to the last minute as usual,” he responded sheepishly. 

Louis’ mouth quirked up, a small laugh coming through. “How about you take the pastries back to your room and I’ll meet you there with a cuppa in ten?” 

“Oh, you perfect Omega, I could kiss you!” Niall exclaimed, already walking back towards the door. “Two sugars and milk, ya?”

Nodding, Louis just had enough time to say, “save me that croissant!” before Niall was gone. 

After helping Niall get the rest of his room in order and eating both a chocolate croissant _and_ a sweet bun for breakfast, Louis headed back to his room. Actual class didn’t begin until 8:30, but he was warned by his new colleagues that parents started to arrive extra early on the first day - especially those whose students were going to reception for the first time.

To his surprise, there was already a small child and what seemed to be her Omega mother in the room, looking around and pointing at all of the colorful decorations Louis poured his summer into. 

“Oh, hello!” he said excitedly, causing the two to look over at him. “I’m Mr. Tomlinson,” he explained, crossing to shake the mother’s hand before kneeling down to get to the same height as the child. “And who might you be?”

The girl had blonde hair and big, blue eyes which she quickly shut and shoved into her mother’s leg to hide.

Her mother let out a laugh, smoothing her hand over the girl’s hair. “That is Natalia and I’m Debra Hill, her mother,” she answered for the both of them. 

“Well, Natalia, I have a special cubby decorated for your school bag if you wanted to go look at it with me,” he suggested, trying to get her to come out of hiding. 

Realistically, he knows there are going to be tears today. No one wants to leave the comfort of their nest to spend the day with _strangers_ and Louis won’t blame the kids at all for being reluctant. He just needs to make them as comfortable as possible in his presence to ensure that they aren’t strangers for long.

Natalia opens her eyes a little bit at the prospect of having her own cubby. “When I was in nursery, they only had one big cubby for everyone,” she told him, not believing him.

“Well, here at reception, _everyone_ gets their own cubby. Promise.”

“Can I see?” She finally removed herself from her mother’s leg to look around the room for her cubby.

“Of course, I’ll show you which one is yours,” Louis said, leading her over to the wall of cubbies. Each one was decorated with different, patterned paper. He obviously didn’t know before what each student liked, so he did vague themes in them and hoped for the best.

Natalia’s cubby had her name written at the top with a hook and at the bottom, a small drawer. It was decorated with a pink and purple floral design on it, much to her delight. “It matches my backpack, Mr. Tomlinson!” she said loudly, the pronunciation of his last night not _quite_ right, but Louis was impressed that she even remembered a semblance of his name. She chucked her bookbag off and held it up to him. The entire thing was pink with a little bit of purple trim.

“Serendipity!” he exclaimed.

She gave him a weird look. “What?”

He laughed, taking her backpack and setting it down in the cubby so she could hang her jacket on the hook when ready. “It means something is absolutely _perfect_. Maybe you and I can teach the rest of the class that word sometime this week.”

“Seren-pipipy!” she replied back to him, giving him a big smile, the first one he received directly from her.

Today was going to be _fine._

Before he knew it, all of his students were seated in groups at three tables and he convinced the last of their parents that they would see their children in mere hours. He had no idea it was going to be harder to convince the parents to leave than it was to convince the students to stay.

He took a small breath, looking away from his class after he shut the door. He had approximately two seconds to get his nerves in order because he knew from experience with his siblings and student teaching in university that children could basically _smell_ uncertainty or fear.

Putting on a big smile, he shut down any insecurities he had about his new job and turned around. He knew it was silly to be scared of a room of five year olds, but he had anticipated this moment since last April when he found out he had received this job. Now, he couldn’t believe that it was actually time to begin teaching all on his own. No matter how long he had with his students for the rest of the year, this first impression (or second because he had helped each one put their things away in their personal cubby when they first arrived) was going to really count.

“Hello, class! I’m Mr. Tomlinson.”

It was nearing seven in the evening when Louis was finally walking through his front fence. His hands were full of totes stuffed with drawings from each of his kids and forms parents had received during “meet the teacher” night that contained general information about their child, such as their birthday and anything Louis needed to know to make their learning experience better. He wanted to sort through everything before tomorrow to ensure that he had a true grasp on his new students, but the bus had been delayed and now it was later than he had hoped.

The automatic light flicked on when he began to climb the side steps to his personal, second floor entrance in the two home building. This usually alerted Julie that he was home as she spent most of her time reading, knitting, watching TV, or any combination of the three in her front room. 

Julie was the best thing that happened to him in Cambridge. He met her in May when he was looking for housing in the neighborhood, helping her with her groceries off of the bus. She was an elderly Omega, about 70 if he had to guess, but he would never ask. Her husband and Alpha passed away 10 years ago and she had been living all alone ever since her last tenant moved out because her Alpha was the one who used to deal with renting out the small flat upstairs.

It only took one brief conversation with Louis before she invited him over to the house, the two of them walking from the bus stop together to go have a cup of tea. Once there and finished with the tea, she mentioned the flat upstairs and offered it to Louis for 400 pounds a month - half the market value of _anything_ Louis had already seen.

He tried to turn her down multiple times, but she insisted and called her lawyer then and there to put together a lease as soon as he could. 

_“Love,”_ she had said. _“I’m not making any money with it sitting empty.”_

Louis had never met another Omega like her before in his life. She was insistent and opinionated - strong. His own mother, of course, was his role model growing up, but her strength came from facing obstacles and hardships whereas Julie’s strength came from general, Omega badassery. She was pleased to hear he was pursuing a career rather than courting an Alpha and Louis knew that there is no way, even when married to her deceased husband, she had ever been the textbook Omega. 

The next month he moved in, having to do quite a bit of cleaning and small repairs in the one bedroom space because it really had been a decade since someone went upstairs. But he didn’t mind, not one bit. Especially when Julie always invited him down to her house for tea when she saw him working because Julie liked to bake, and she baked _well._

He only struggled with his keys for a moment before he pushed into his small flat and threw his bags down. A big sigh escaped his lips, of relief he thinks, and he stripped off his light jacket. 

Once slightly settled, he knew that he should begin cooking dinner immediately because once he sat down, he was probably done for the night and he really shouldn’t get in the habit of skipping dinner because he already struggled to eat breakfast every morning due to his excessive “snooze” hitting.

Looking around his kitchen for a moment, he realized too late that he forgot to go to the supermarket yesterday and instead watched three episodes of Celebs Go Dating while stressing about his first day today. He grumbled at himself because _knew_ he was forgetting something, but he thought it was just laundry, which he did complete. 

He had planned a special, first day meal that he was going to cook after seeing it made on the Food Network, but looks like he’ll have to make do with whatever he has. He looked through everything before starting to get to work on his dinner, pasta, a meal he has on repeat during a normal week. Quick and easy.

He had hated cooking when he was younger and was scared that the gene somehow skipped over him. As an omega, there should be something wired in his brain that made him want to provide a hot meal for his family, but growing up it was his biggest struggle. When he was especially young, his mother would try and coax him to help her in the kitchen and he merely tolerated it (she later said it was because she just _knew_ his presentation - _a mother knows)._ Once presenting, it became the biggest point of contention between the two and even caused a right screaming match between them one night.

His mother had wanted to _train_ him and he hated every second in the kitchen because of it. He learned quite a bit from his mother, but had decided at 17 that if an Alpha wanted him to spend all day in the kitchen then he didn’t want that Alpha. 

Now, though, he found he quite enjoyed cooking for himself. He would often cook two servings and bring a covered plate down to Julie, either for her to eat then or the next day for lunch if it was later in the night, as it often was. There was something therapeutic about creating something out of nothing and without the pressure of _“this is how you get someone to mate you”_ it was something that he looked forward to every night.

Louis didn’t make a lot of money with his job and even with the forgiving rent from Julie, he did find it difficult to buy more than the necessities at the grocery store with his student debt. He often had pasta with whatever veg was discounted. A protein centered meal is a luxury to him and he finds himself eating more carbs than anything else because they’re quite filling, but tonight he planned on splurging a bit to celebrate a, hopefully, successful first day.

His mother and stepfather refused to help him out with his schooling, which led to him taking out naive loans to make it through. Unmated Omega’s often had steep interest rates and Louis was no different. It took him ages to find a program that would give an Omega student loans, so once he did, he didn’t take the time to read the fine print. Now, even with the year of payment under his belt, he owed more than what he started with and couldn’t fathom how he was going to dig himself out. 

The pasta took a quick six minutes to boil completely, so Louis took it off the heat and drained the noodles over the sink. He had another, his only other, pan going with tomato sauce full of a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, so he dumped the pasta in there before mixing it all together. It wasn’t exciting exactly, but with the right amount of spices and herbs, it was still tasty and made plenty for him to bring down to Julie and for him to pack his own couple of lunches.

Julie beat him to the visit he was planning, knocking on his door while he was washing his dishes from dinner. 

He wiped his hands on the tea towel hanging on his oven and went to open the door. He didn’t even hesitate or look to see who it was because it was nearing 8, when she started to head to bed, so he knew she wanted to check in on him. 

In front of his door, holding a cake that looked to be lemon drizzle (Louis’ absolute _favorite_ ), was Julie. She was a _saint_ to Louis and he thanked whatever Gods were watching over him every night for her presence in his life. She was wearing a thick cardigan and house shoes, lighting up when Louis opened the door. “Hello, love,” she greeted, walking in the house when he stepped to the side.

“Sorry to make you climb the stairs, I got in so late I just finished dinner,” he explained, following her to the kitchen. 

She flicked on Louis’ kettle and reached in his cabinet to grab a mug, starting to make Louis a cup of tea. He had learned quickly not to argue and to just let it happen, though it still made his eyebrow twitch when she did anything for him. “Oh, no worries at all! I know it was your first day and you’re probably exhausted, so I’ll just cut you a slice and get out of the way.”

He smiled softly at her, “you know you don’t have to rush out, Jules. I am always up for a chat with you.”

She winked at him, slicing two thick slices of cake onto a small plate. “We’ll catch up later this week when you aren’t dead on your feet, love.” She reached into his fridge and poured a spot of milk into his tea, just how he liked it. “In fact! I’ll leave this cake up here for your tea this week and you come to dinner at my house on Friday, yeah? That way you can concentrate on your work and not worry about little old me.”

“You are much too good to me and I will never not worry about you,” he said, walking beside her and opening his fridge again, grabbing the rather large container of extra pasta and sliding it to her on the small counter. “Friday dinner sounds perfect.”

She took the pasta after she finished rewrapping the rest of the cake. “Oh, it’s you who are too good to me, Lou,” she replied. She smiled to herself a little, before straightening up. “Alright, eat up and get to bed,” she said, with a fake sternness and walked over to the front door again, leaving just as quickly as she came. “Lock the door behind me!” she reminded, as if he would forget. 

“Goodnight!” he called through the door, leaning against it and listening until he heard her own front door open and close before he went to do just as she told him. He could go one more day without knowing his student’s birthdays and there was nothing better than eating pudding in bed.

-

“What are you doing for dinner this Sunday, Lou?” Niall asked, seemingly out of nowhere as the two of them sat together eating their lunches and watching over the kids at the tables next to them. They had just been talking about the holidays now that it was November and how they were going to decorate their rooms to be inclusive to everyone, so the question took him off guard.

Louis flushed, a little embarrassed at his real answer. He was planning on getting takeaway and watching whatever trash came on TV that night. It was starting to become a tradition for himself, a little treat before the beginning of the week surrounded by kids. But he instead answered casually, “oh, um, nothing special.”

“Well, Liam and I are inviting a couple of people over for a roast if you wanted to come over. Shouldn’t be anything too crazy, but I think he’s inviting a couple of professors over and Lord knows I don’t want to be alone in their company.”

It was a tempting offer and he pondered it a moment. He hadn’t had a true roast in a while, nevermind on Sunday. That was the one day Julie spent away from the house. She went to church in the morning and spent the entire day at the community center with some of her older friends. The idea of being surrounded by Alphas much smarter than him though, that didn’t appeal to him very much. Liam was the first exception he met in a while, but most Alphas Louis met in higher education _needed_ to tell you about their schooling and where they interned and why their experience was superior.

But Niall was his friend, he hoped, and he did sound a little desperate. And Louis would want company if the roles were reversed.

“Alright, count me in. What can I bring?”

Louis was early on Sunday, Niall texting him and telling him the “official” time before later harassing him with another long string of texts saying he should come over earlier and help him cook dinner because Liam was bothering him in “his” kitchen and he would ease off if Louis was there.

He walked timidly into the apartment complex with a bottle of wine in his hands, not used to having to go through a front desk receptionist. The Beta politely asked who he was there to see. 

“The Paynes. Uh, Liam and Niall?”

“Your name?”

“Louis Tomlinson?” he stated like a question, feeling his heartbeat pick up. Maybe he had the wrong building.

“Ah, here you are. Okay, you can take the lift on our left up to the fourth floor and the Paynes are in apartment 412.”

“Thank you very much,” he breathed, giving him a small smile before walking over to the lift and hitting the up button. This place was much posher than he thought it was going to be, he could tell by how impeccably clean the lobby was and the fact that the flowers displayed were fresh. 

Once on the fourth floor, he had to give himself a brief pep talk before knocking on the door in front of him. It was just _Niall_ for God’s sake, the same Omega who constantly asked Louis for help with his lesson plans and brought him breakfast in return. They ate lunch together _every single day._ He knew Liam as well, mostly in passing, but it’s not like these people were strangers.

It had just been so long since he made friends _outside_ of work, school, or family. He considered himself good acquaintances with many other Omegas from his program at Cambridge, but he lived in a single dorm and hardly ever hung out with them outside of studying. 

He knocked before he ran, forcing himself to face the social situation in front of him. 

Niall quickly opened the door, saying, “thank God!” before hugging him quickly. He was wearing an apron, not that Louis was surprised. He was sure if the mess of his desk at school was anything to go off of, the Omega needed it. “Liam’s been driving me crazy, maybe now he’ll fuck _off_ out of my kitchen,” he whispered under his breath.

He grabbed Louis’ free hand, dragging him inside and noticing the bottle in his other hand. “Oh, white wine! My favorite, thanks, Lou,” Niall gushed and Louis felt a huge wave of relief wash over him. He had picked the thing up from Tesco for 4 pounds and hoped that no one would be able to notice.

“Hello, Louis,” Liam said politely, standing in the front room in a matching apron to Niall’s.

The apartment was _nice_ and Louis tried really hard not to let it make him feel out of place. There was a front room with a small coat closet that opened up into the living room which was decorated with sleek, grey couches in front of a large TV. There were white accents everywhere, even the walls were stark white, making the entire apartment feel very cool toned and new. 

“Hello, Liam,” he responded, bowing his head slightly in respect to the Alpha. “This is such a lovely place,” he said honestly.

“Oh, thank you very much,” Liam said sincerely. It didn’t feel like throwaway small talk with Liam, he always seemed so sincere no matter who he was talking to.

Niall clapped, making Louis jump next to him. “Alright, let me take your coat and then I will assign you a task, yeah?”

Liam chuckled a little bit at his mate before looking at Louis. “Bet you didn’t think getting inviting to Sunday roast meant being put to work, huh?”

Louis’ presence in the kitchen did not, in fact, make Liam leave. The Alpha was so nervous, as Niall explained earlier that week, because they had never hosted his colleagues before for anything. He was hovering over every single detail, but Louis was thankful he didn’t have anything to say about the way he was peeling the carrots.

Liam’s phone pinged in the middle of him and Niall bickering over the amount of butter to put in the mashed potatoes. Liam insisted a stick was far too much, but Niall claimed to be the expert and insisted he made them like this every time, but Liam never noticed. 

The Alpha went over to check his phone, probably thinking it was someone who would be arriving soon. While he was distracted, the Irish lad threw in the rest of the stick of butter, looking around the kitchen innocently and winking at Louis when he saw he had noticed.

“Oh, um, Harry cancelled,” Liam said, frowning a little bit at his phone.

“Thanks, Liam, for the information. We both know _exactly_ who Harry is, an Alpha neither of us have never met before,” Niall said sarcastically, making Louis giggle a little bit. 

Liam rolled his eyes, walking back into the kitchen after pocketing his phone. “He’s relatively new to the history department. I only worked with him one year before moving to work with you lot. Brilliant lad, someone I was hoping to impress to be honest.”

“Aren’t you above him?” Niall asked curiously. 

“I guess _technically_ , but he’s also written a couple of books and is very well known in the academic world. Amazing if you ask me, him being so young.”

“Careful, Liam, it sounds like you have a crush on the poor guy.”

“It’s not a _crush_ ,” Liam insisted, glaring a little bit. “But eventually I would like to do the same, so I was hoping to get to know him better.”

“Don’t fret, my love,” Niall consoled, giving Liam his best pouty lips. “I’ll amaze him with my cooking another day.”

Liam gave him a quick peck, Louis looking away shyly to continue with the carrots in front of him.

“Now we’re just left with Nick Grimshaw and Louise Teasedale, both also in the history department.”

“Ugh, Grimshaw. Why couldn’t _he_ have cancelled. Now I’ll have to listen to him drone on about the _history_ of Sunday roasts,” Niall complained. He looked over to Louis and very seriously said, “the man teaches the history of food as if that’s an actual class that matters. We will not hear anyone else’s voice for the entire night.”

Liam laughed off his comment, “don’t be so dramatic.”

Niall, it turns out, was not being dramatic. Louis had known Professor Grimshaw for fifteen minutes now and he had been speaking for every single one of them. Mostly about himself, but sometimes it felt like he was holding a lecture and the rest of them were his students. He was an unmated Alpha, from what Louis could smell at least, and held himself so highly he might fly away at any moment. 

Louis stood meekly in the corner, the drink he had been offered held tightly with both of his hands wrapped around it. He really didn’t feel like he belonged in the house now that he was left in a room full of highly educated Alphas. Niall had insisted that he stay out of the kitchen while he was getting everything together before the meal, that he had helped enough. He told him to mingle, like that was something that Louis was capable of.

Instead of mingling, his mind kept glazing in and out of Nick’s comments. He was now telling them about the primitive ways that meat used to be roasted before the modern models of stoves “-used to be cooked over a hearth’s open flames. Often times with sticks shaved down to make skewers, but some of the wealthier citizens had these contraptions that could be used to turn the meat of the entire thing. They were made out of metal and crafted so-”

Niall poked his head, interrupting the Alpha mid sentence. “Alright, everybody! Time to eat if everyone wants to grab a seat.”

That was enough to get them out of the conversation taking place and the four of them shuffled to the table in the next room, each with a drink in their hand. It was set for five people with one person at the head of the table - Liam. So Louis sat on the opposite side, thinking Niall would sit next to Liam in the empty chair, but Nick plopped himself down, grinning at him.

Louis smiled back with his lips closed tight to be polite, but he was now dreading the next few hours next to him.

The food was a little redeeming to his position, the roast beef being cooked absolutely perfectly and the Yorkshire puddings having the perfect fluff. It truly was an impressive meal and Louis was chuffed that he was included at such a small table of people

“Niall, this is _divine_ ,” Nick commented a few bites in. The table had grown a little quieter once they first started to eat, everyone digging in. “The mashed potatoes are perfect!” 

Niall wiggled his eyebrows at Liam, thanking Nick for the comments smugly.

“What about you, Louis? Did you help cook this delicious meal?” Nick asked, turning in his chair to look at him. 

“Oh, um, not really. Just peeled some carrots and chopped some veg. Niall is the mastermind here,” he replied, wanting to get his attention to go to another person at the table. It made him uneasy how tall Nick was compared to him when they were sitting down. The man’s torso was so long it felt like he was leering over him whenever he talked to Louis.

“Oh, well the carrots are _outstanding_ as well, so thank you for your contribution.” His mouth curled up while he was speaking and Louis knew that he was trying to get into Louis’ good graces, both being unmated. 

He gave him the same, wary look he had been giving him since they first met, hoping that he disguised his discomfort enough. Ambition was something he always wanted in an Alpha, but no if it meant bragging about it to everyone they met every quiet moment. 

“Nick, Louis here graduated from Cambridge like you,” Liam said, making both Louise and Nick look to him, surprised.

“Many years after, I’m sure,” Niall said, keeping a smile on his face as he made the backhanded comment.

Liam shot him a warning glance and he had the decency to look a little apologetic.

“You were part of the Omega program?” Louise asked surprised, her face delighted. “I helped push it through so my mate could apply. He’s going to start next year!”

Louis blushed at the attention and nodded his head. “Yes, I was,” he said. “Graduated at the end of terms this year.”

“Oh, maybe I can introduce the two of you. He’s _petrified,_ poor lad.”

“Of course!” he enthused, happy at the prospect of speaking to another Omega interested in Cambridge’s program. “I know I would’ve loved to speak to someone who went through everything when I first started.”

Nick was awfully quiet at the change in subject, mulling in his thoughts. Louis hopes the knowledge of him being an educated Omega makes him just as uncomfortable as Nick has been making him the entire night. 

Louis was the first to leave when they were all hanging about in the living room after the meal. Pudding was excellent (just fresh fruit and custard, but is there anything better) and he found himself having a good time despite his anxiety earlier, but he really did have to go home and get prepared for the day tomorrow. He was rubbish if he wasn’t able to complete his evening routine, it made him feel as ease. 

After saying goodbye to everyone and even exchanging emails with Louise so she could be in contact with him about her mate, Tom, he was walking towards the bus stop a couple of blocks down. 

“Louis!” he heard behind him as he exited the building. 

He turned around and to his surprise, saw Nick Grimshaw standing at the door and quickly walking up to him. 

“Oh, did you need something?” he asked, looking around and seeing if there was anyone else in the parking lot. Not that he thought the Alpha would try anything, but he couldn’t deny that seeing a family unloading their car a few meters away from them didn’t make him feel more at ease.

Nick smiled and made his way right into Louis’ personal space. “I was actually wondering if I could maybe get your number? Take you on a date?” he asked, confidently pulling his phone out.

And it wasn’t that Louis wasn’t _attracted_ to the Alpha. He was tall, his hair was lush and well groomed, and his scent was rather pleasant, but Louis was so offput by his entire attitude the whole night that he wouldn’t imagine this going anywhere good. Nick would make a good Alpha to someone, but that someone was _not_ him. 

Now he just had to communicate that to him without offending him too badly.

“Listen, Nick,” he started softly and that seemed enough to make his expression drop. “I’m not sure we’re the right fit.”

“Oh, sure,” he said in a voice quieter than anything else he’s said all night. 

Louis was quick to try and excuse his response, saying, “It’s me really.” Even though it wasn’t. “I’m not ready for an Alpha yet, I’m too focused on my kids at school, I wouldn’t have the time for you.”

Nick hummed and nodded his head, but he didn’t look convinced. “Well,” he started, but he didn’t have anything else to say.

“I really am sorry, Nick.”

Nick blinked and shrugged his shoulders. “Have a good night, Louis,” he said before turning and walking towards what Louis assumes is his car.

“You too,” he said two moments too late, sure Nick was already out of earshot. He turned again and started to walk towards the bus, again.

“He asked you _out?”_ Niall asked in disbelief the next morning, sausage roll pastry crumbs still on his mouth as he practically choked on his food. 

“Niall, I felt _awful_. I hate rejecting Alphas,” he whined into his tea mug. 

Niall started laughing after the information truly processed in his head. “No wonder he ran out in such a rush. I thought he just had to go tell someone else about why aubergines are purple now.”

Louis slapped his shoulder, trying not to laugh at Nick’s expense, but he found himself giggling anyway and spilling the tea in his hand. “Stop it, he was upset!”

“I would be too if an Omega with an arse like yours let me down,” Niall said crudely, wiggling his eyebrows. 

It wasn’t the first time he had made a comment on his bum, but it still made him blush like it was. “You are a nightmare of a friend. How do you teach children every morning?”

Batting his eyelashes around his blue eyes, Niall looked up at him, “It’s me Irish charm.”

-

December flew by with a frenzy of holiday parties, both with children and without, horrible weather, and maybe one too many containers of beef and tomato Pot Noodles to keep him warm. It was now winter holidays and Louis was heading home to Doncaster to spend time with his family. 

He had one suitcase filled with a week’s worth of clothes and a duffle stuffed with poorly wrapped Christmas gifts he had already bought. He learned long ago to space out the cost of Christmas by starting to buy the gifts as soon as he could. There was a pair of earrings he had bought in July for his mother, giving him plenty of time to recover financially before buying another big gift.

At the train station in Cambridge, he shoved a chicken and stuffing sandwich into his mouth as quickly as he could because of course he was running late for his calling time. He made it onto the platform though and was closing his eyes to take a little nap on his train to his family home in Doncaster from Cambridge for the holidays when a gentle voice said, “ticket, sir?”

He jumped and smiled sheepishly at the beta who was looking at him expectantly. He quickly fished the ticket out of his winter jacket’s pocket and showed it to the employee who nodded and continued, her voice trailing, “ticket?” behind him.

It was a quick two hours from Cambridge to Doncaster, so he didn’t prepare and bring any sort of entertainment other than his phone that was dipping in and out of service. The older woman across the table from him seemed to have some sort of cold and kept coughing, so he wished desperately now that he had headphones of some kind. Next time, he thought.

He closed his eyes for the second time and leaned his head against the window, using his scarf as a pillow and hoped that he would be able to sleep so that time could go by faster.

“Louis?” a man said in surprise above him, voice deep and familiar.

This time, he didn’t jump, but he did wonder if he kept his eyes closed it might look like he was actually sleeping and the Alpha who he knew was behind the voice would go _away_. 

“It _is_ you,” the voice said when Louis finally opened his eyes.

Louis smiled politely up at him and said, “Finn.” 

It almost felt like a past life when they first met six years ago. It was during Louis’ senior year and he attended an all Omega school, so he rarely met Alphas his age unless they were a family friend. Finn was just that, a recently graduated Alpha who attended University in Doncaster. Once they met, he had become infatuated with Louis, ignoring any of his comments about his future plans and making up his own future for the two of them without Louis’ permission. 

Even after Louis graduated and had been accepted to Cambridge’s brand new Omega program, making history for himself and the rest of the country, Finn didn’t understand. He didn’t seem to comprehend that Louis planned on leaving town and when he asked to court him that summer, Louis said no.

This had enraged the Alpha, he screamed at Louis for leading him on even though he _didn’t_ and he _knew_ he didn’t. Louis had never been yelled at in such a manor by an Alpha before and it scared him to bits, almost causing him to drop then and there.

He ran home that night before anything could happen and they never spoke again. 

Until now, he supposed.

The Alpha took his acknowledgement as an invitation to sit down in the empty seat next to him, not that the behavior surprised Louis even slightly. “How have you been? When did you get on?”

So they were going to talk to each other, Louis thought in his head, much to his dread. “I’ve been very well, thank you for asking. And, uh, I got on at Cambridge. You?”

“London, meself, I’m living there now. Got a job at a bank downtown,” he replied, back straightening in pride as he mentioned his place of employment. Nothing had changed, it seemed. His scent was absolutely _saturating_ the air with the confidence of an Alpha, which many Omegas would throw themselves at, but Louis couldn’t bring himself to care about Finn’s success with their history.

“Congrats,” he replied weakly, but any hesitation was ignored.

“Cambridge, hey? What’s there now?” Finn asked curiously. He knew Louis had went away to Cambrdige for school, of course he did, but it was a year later than his graduation date.

Louis lit up a little bit in pride, “my job, actually. I work for the University of Cambridge Primary School.”

Finn’s face fell briefly, “Oh, uhm, congrats on that.”

There was an awkward pause between the two of them as they both stared anywhere besides the other. 

Not one to relish in the quiet, Finn broke first and Louis could feel the sting of his comment before he even said it. “So you’re actually working then? I thought you would’ve moved home by now.”

Louis knew he meant that he thought Louis would have given up on a career and education by now. He didn’t understand when Louis first told him and it doesn’t surprise him that he still didn’t understand.

“Yes, I’m quite happy with my choice,” he responded shortly.

“Well, now that you’re going back home, let me know if you want to get together sometime. I go up to Doncaster quite a bit and we can see where that leads us.” He said it like he was doing Louis a _favor_ , like spending time with him was a gift, but it was up to Finn to decide just how much.

Louis frowned at the implications, mind going in overtime at how any of their short conversation could’ve been misconstrued. “No, Finn, I’m only going back for a week. I’m returning to Cambridge to continue working after Christmas.”

Finn rolled his eyes at this. “Oh, come on,” he laughed, “You’re going to get home and walk into your old nest and never want to leave again.”

“Excuse me?” Louis asked, his voice rising above an acceptable train level.

“You’re an _Omega_ , sweetheart,” his voice was saccharine sweet, condescending with an expression to match. “You were _made_ to stay at home.”

It made him feel 17 again, being spoken to like this from the Alpha. Goosebumps prickled up his arms and his stomach twisted in anxiety.

He almost apologized out of habit, something he had grown up watching other Omegas do even though they usually had nothing to apologize for. But he wasn’t _17_ anymore and Finn meant nothing more to him than any other passing Alpha on the street and that have him absolutely _no right_ to have any opinion on his decision.

“I’d very much like for you to go back to your own seat now, Finn,” Louis said, his tone letting the Alpha knew that this wasn’t merely a question. It wasn’t above Louis to cause a scene so that he could be left alone.

“Whatever, Lou,” Finn rolled his eyes, standing up. “The offer stands when you leave that life behind.”

He was gone shortly after that, Louis rolling his eyes and trying to keep his composure. As an Omega, confrontation made him feel uneasy and he hated having to raise his voice against an Alpha. He pushed his nature down further in fake confidence.

The woman across from him sneezed into her handkerchief, muttering under her breath, “knothead.”

It wasn’t something you heard often, much less in public, as the word damaged an Alpha’s pride and could cause them to turn their anger towards you.

Louis shared a quick smile with her before snuggling up to his scarf and trying to breathe in his own scent to clear his head of Finn’s overpowering dominance that now lingered next to him. Maybe now he could take a nap without being disturbed.

The train station was busier than Louis had ever seen it when he attempted to pull his backpack and suitcase off at his stop. This is the closest to Christmas he’s ever gone home, while in University he had the majority of December off and couldn’t wait to leave his dorm. Now that he has his own place, he stayed on his own a little bit longer. Luckily, it was busy enough that he didn’t cross paths with Finn on his way to the meeting spot his mum usually met him at.

It was down the block a bit from the station to avoid such constant traffic, but faithfully, he saw her red car parked in front of a sandwich shop. 

The usual relief filled his chest and unlike the past couple of years, he felt close to tears at the thought of hugging his mum. He only really came home for Christmas and whatever birthdays he could manage, so every single time it felt significant. 

His mother spotted him through the rearview mirror and stepped out onto the sidewalk to meet him and wrapped him up in her arms. “Oh, my baby,” she said, kissing his cheek and scenting him slightly.

Because he was an unmated Omega, his mother’s scent was just as calming to him now as it would’ve been when he was a newborn. Once he mated an Alpha, it would be frowned upon to smell so much of someone else, both for him and his mother, but for now - this was perfect.

“Hello, mummy,” he whispered, squeezing her tightly before pulling back to look at her properly.

The cold was biting at both of their faces, making them look a little flush, but she was just as beautiful as he remembered her. Her lush, chestnut hair was pulled behind her in a bun and she had a little bit of eye mak-up on her startling blue eyes - Louis’ favorite trait he inherited. 

She smiled gently at him, gazing at her son in a way only a mother could before planting another kiss on his forehead. They were about the same height, being dwarfed by older sister Lottie long ago when she went through an Alpha growth spurt, but much to Louis’ chagrin, it didn’t look like he was going to be taller than his mother. He could hope, he supposed, but at 22, his future seemed set.

“Alright, put your bags in the boot and get inside. It’s freezing out here and I have the heat running,” she said, turning to open the trunk to her car before running into the driver’s side.

Louis did as she said and let out a sigh when he sat down in the warmth and familiarity of his mother’s old car. It had been in their family for almost as long as Louis himself and even with a few scratches and stains here and there, his mother kept it in running condition. “Oh, it’s so good to be home,” he breathed.

“We are so glad you’re here, Lou,” she replied, referring to her current husband, Dan, and their one-year-old twins, Doris and Ernest, who lived at the house. It wasn’t Louis’ childhood home, but a new house the two had bought together after they mated two years ago. Her third mating and most successful so far. 

Charlotte’s, his older sister by two years, father Mark was first. But the two quickly fell out of love with each other. It was an easy split, both very young and ready to move on with their lives. He still visited them every year or so and kept in contact with Lottie like a good father would.

Louis’ birth father was the second, Troy, a man he hardly ever thought about because he had never been present in his life. When his mother told him she was expecting a child, their relationship fell apart. He already had one daughter and within two years, his own family of one had expanded to four. He had cheated on his mother and bit another Omega while the two were mated - the ultimate betrayal to a bond - and left all three of their lives before he was even born. She raised the two of them mostly alone until Louis was 20 years old.

Dan, though, he was different. He was a soft-spoken Alpha who held in his strength quietly. Louis had never seen his mum look more in love. Him and Lottie had both been skeptical when, after both of them had moved out, she told them another Alpha was courting her. But when they met him, saw how in love she looked, how carefree, they knew he was the right choice.

He never tried to be their father because he wouldn’t have succeeded with both of them being grown adults when he came into their lives. Instead he just supported them when he could and let them both know through his actions that he would be there for both of them and their mother. Not too long after they mated, his mother announced she was pregnant again, which surprised everyone, but the twins are an absolute delight and a welcome addition to their little family.

“When do Lottie and Rosie get into town?” he asked his mother, referring to his sister and her Omega, who lived in London together.

“They arrived this morning, actually. Checked into a hotel this afternoon. They’ll be over for dinner in about an hour.”

He hummed in acknowledgment, looking around at everything passing them and noting any changes he saw. There was always something new that popped up, or something old that was gone without fail every time he visited.

It was a quick trip home, as his mum’s house was pretty central, and pretty quickly after they walked in, he had a baby in his hands. Doris tugged at his hair in excitement, squealing when he tickled her little belly. He honestly didn’t know if she truly remembered him, but he hoped that she did and with enough coaxing, he had her saying “Boo” over and over again - close enough to his name.

Eventually he swapped Doris out with Ernest, who was in a walker whilst Jay worked on dinner. Usually he was expected to help, but looking after the babies got him out of that job. He was sitting on the ground, trying to give each one equal attention while holding Ernie now - a tough job and one he wasn’t envious of his mother about. His students were different because they were older and he was a figure of authority over them rather than a family member. He knew all too well that even the most perfect angels in his class went home wreaked havoc on their poor parents.

“How do I see you more in Doncaster than I do in London, little brother? I thought we were closer than that,” his sister’s voice greeted him, mocking sadness.

He turned around and grinned widely at her standing next to the front door. She was shedding her coat and helping Rosie take her own off before hanging them on the hooks next to the door stacked with winter gear. Her platinum blonde hair was straightened impeccably and she wore a full face of make-up, something Louis hadn’t seen her without since they were both in high school. Now, she worked as a make-up artist for the BBC in London, so her make-up only gets better every time he sees her. 

“It’s a two way street, but your Alpha brain must think that everything revolves around you,” he sassed.

Rosie laughed next to her mate, giving her a quick shove before she was over and scooping up Dottie who was now reaching out to the new people in her living room. She was shorter than even Louis, with dark, naturally wavy hair that she hardly ever styled with heat - and she had no need to truly, it was beautiful. She had pale skin and deep, brown eyes. Her and Lottie, who used self tanner religiously, often looked like exact opposites. Lottie’s look feeling very icy, and Rosie exuding warmth. It was a part of their charm though, and much of the reason to why they worked well together.

“You’re supposed to support me!” Lottie gasped, mouth opened in feigned shock. Dramatics ran in their blood.

Rosie deadpanned, “oh, Alpha, love of my life, you are in the right as always.”

Lottie pouted, moving to sit on the couch in front of Louis’ position on the floor, giving his head a ruffle. “Good to see you, punk.”

“You too,” he responded, eyes crinkling as he smiled up at her. Ernie, in his arms, reached a palm out to tap Louis’ face to get his attention back. “But it’s even better to see you,” he cooed, his voice turning to baby mush instantly.

“How’s the new house?” Rosie asked Louis, not quite turning her attention away from the baby in her hand. And maybe it _had_ been longer than he thought since he saw the two of them if she considered his house new. Graduation, in May, was probably the last time they saw each other. Louis made a note to make more time for them next year, they did live only a bus ride away after all.

“Just lovely,” he responded, not lying in the slightest. He loved his little home in Cambridge, it made him feel more independent.

Lottie snatched Ernie out of his arms with as much care as someone can manage whilst stealing a baby from another person, making him pout slightly. “You’re surrounded by kids all day!” she justified.

“But not babies,” he argued, happy to see Ernie squirm in her arms to look back at him. “There’s a difference.”

Dinner was a chaotic affair, as are most meals are in their family since the babies joined. Louis liked to think of them as full of life rather than put a negative spin on the entire situation.

Ernie was so ornery during the meal, he chucked a handful of green beans right in Dan’s face. The Alpha blinked and merely picked up the vegetables from where they landed on the table. He wasn’t a pushover by any means, but at one year old, yelling was more detrimental to the entire situation. 

Louis tried not to laugh, tried to look down at the plate in front of him, still full of the roast chicken he had been digging into, but void of Yorkshire pudding since he tended to eat that first. He really did try because he didn’t want to be disrespectful in Dan’s nest, but a little giggle escaped his lips. 

“Louis Tomlinson!” his mother scolded, aghast at his reaction.

Rosie, across from him, looked horrified and nervous at what was unfolding. She looked up at Lottie for support, but all she got in return was her Alpha starting to giggle too.

Jay didn’t waste any time before saying, “Charlotte!” at a slightly larger volume than before.

The two siblings made eye contact with each other, instantly feeling like naughty kids again, and both were turning absolutely red with their attempts to hold everything in.

Dan, though, surprised everyone by letting out a loud laugh.

His mate looked over at him in complete shock, her mouth hanging open as she struggled not to speak up against him.

It wasn’t long though before the entire table was in hysterics, the twins squealing in delight at the turn of events and joining in even if they didn’t understand. Even Jay joined in laughing, tears collecting in her eyes. She really had chosen the right mate this time.

Louis still felt full from dinner the next morning as her padded down to the kitchen quite early. It was still quiet in the house, but he was not surprised to see his mother sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea and the biscuit tin open in front of her. They had always both been early risers.

“Good morning, Lou,” she greeted, smiling softly. Her face was devoid of any make-up and her hair up in a messy bun, eyes sleepy. This was Louis’ favorite version of his mother because it brought him back to the mornings he spent with her everyday before high school. She used to work long hours to keep them afloat, so it was the only alone time he ever consistently had with her (Lottie had reality TV time at the end of the night full of the worst TV shows Louis could imagine that they both loved to bits).

“Morning,” he responded, his own voice scratchy and full of sleep.

The kettle was still warm from when his mother used it, so he set about making himself a quick cup of tea and joined her at the table.

“Guess who called me last night after dinner?” his mother asked suspiciously, stirring sugar into her tea much to Louis’ distaste. 

He didn’t know, no, but he didn’t think this conversation was going anywhere nice from her tone. “Who?” he responded politely, adding just milk - _just milk_ \- to his own tea. 

“Mrs. O’Callahan,” she responded. Finn’s mom, Mrs. O’Callahan, was still a close friend of his mother, no matter their rotten history. In fact, that was how they originally met and his mom was _so sure_ that he was the one for Louis. So sure that Louis questioned sometimes if his mother even knew who he was at all.

“Oh,” Louis breathed, putting his mug up to his mouth and taking a sip, no matter how hot the water still was.

His mother’s hand came down to the table so hard, it made him jump. “Yes, _oh_ , what were you thinking? Getting into a fight with him like that in public? How disrespectful you must’ve sounded talking to an Alpha like that.”

Groaning at what he knew was going to be the beginning to a fight, he responded, “Mum, _he_ was disrespectful to _me.”_

“He’s a great Alpha, Louis! And he’s still willing to give you a chance after what happened.”

“I don’t want his _chances_ , I wish I would never see him again.”

She rolled her eyes at him, “So dramatic, Louis. Like always. You’re 23 tomorrow, most of your friends are already mated and happy, why don’t you want that for yourself?”

“Now who’s being dramatic?” he laughed, no humor behind it. “I’m only _23_ , Mum, I’ve still got a whole life in front of me. If the right Alpha comes along, of course I’ll settle down, but Finn is _not_ that Alpha.”

She paused thoughtfully. Luckily neither of them had very much fight inside them this early in the morning, so this was a drop in the water compared to most of their disagreements about Louis’ future. It actually felt like she was considering what he said. “I’m worried you’re not looking for an Alpha at all, busy with work. If you lived here, you could focus on that.”

Louis knew, deep down - and he really had to dig some days - that his mother fought with him out of his best interests. She constantly worried about him. He used to be her baby for so long, the twins being so young. Lottie had presented as Alpha two years before him and was now mated to Rosie with a wedding date set for next year, living together in London. Her future was sorted and Louis’ still looked uncertain in her eyes without a stable mate for him.

(When Louis first moved into his flat, he decided he would never invite his family over because if they were worried about his independence before when he was living on campus, the size of his flat would send them into cardiac arrest. He has never mentioned his financial struggles to anyone at all, the benefits of having someone to talk to were outweighed by the cons of his family’s reactions.)

“Mum,” he said, reaching out to take her hand, “Please trust me when I say that I will find an Alpha someday. You know I want children, I can’t lie about that. But I just want it to happen when it happens. I’m not in a rush to fall in love.”

She squeezed his hand, rolling her eyes playfully. “You might not be in a rush, but _I am._ Grandchildren, Louis, _grandchildren._ ”

He laughed, happy that this fight didn’t lead to anything worse than this. “You just had twins!” 

She joined him in laughing, letting go of his to grab at her tea. “I guess that’s true,” she replied, her eyebrow quirking up. “They do keep me busy.”

“Plus Lottie should give us the good news at any moment. You’ll be surrounded with babies for a good couple of years, I promise.”

“Not unlike yourself, I suppose.”

Louis thought to his job that he was finally getting comfortable in and the children he had the privilege to see everyday. “Not unlike me.”

They both drank their tea in relative silence for a couple moments before his mother said, “you are right about Finn, though. I was just upset that I had to hear it from his mother because she was so giddy that she had gossip about you. What a knothead.”

“Mum!” Louis exclaimed, absolutely scandalised. He had _never_ heard his mother use such language, though he did agree with her choice.

She laughed again, “Oh, don’t be so surprised, Louis. You did get _some_ of your personality from me.”

Christmas morning came quickly and soon the once impeccably cleaned living room was covered in a fair amount of gift wrap and tissue paper. Louis knew it would be worse in the years to come, as the twins grew older and actually understood what a present was, but there was still a significant increase in the amount of gifts exchanged this year.

It was exciting, having younger siblings for the holiday. Not that it hadn’t been lovely as Louis grew older, but there was a difference between Christmas as a child and Christmas as an adult. 

They had celebrated his birthday the night before with a homemade chocolate fudge cake from his mother after dinner - Louis’ favourite since childhood. He always received the bulk of his gifts on Christmas, but he _always_ received one on his actual birthday. Growing up it was out of necessity, there simply wasn’t enough money to go around for him to receive a plethora of gifts on both days, but his mother always managed to give him something special on his birthday and something special on Christmas Day. 

In primary school, he was always a little bitter about the placement of his birthday, but he kept it to himself. It was being constantly surrounded by classmates who seemed to get everything they wanted two different days a year that bugged him, but he knew that his mother did the best she could for him and Lottie. As he grew up and his expectations of presents went down, he also grew to love Christmas time, so much so that his birthday being on Christmas Eve was kind of _fun_. 

Yesterday, his mother and Dan gifted him with a new electric kettle, much to his delight. He had been ranting to his mother for the past couple of months that he needed to get one for his classroom, so that he didn’t have to trek to the teacher’s lounge across the school every time he wanted a cup of tea. 

Lottie and Rosie had teamed up with his mother and gave him the little things that went with it for his desk. A tin full of Yorkshire tea, multiple single servings of milk, and a mug that had “World’s Best Teacher” printed across it. Cheesy, but it made Louis smile like he had received diamonds. 

For Christmas, everyone had received something small from one another, but the star of the show that caused many of them to well up in tears was when Dan brought them outside to show off the new car he had bought Jay, stating that there was absolutely no need for her to be driving a car that was almost as old as his grown children were. Absolutely nothing could’ve one upped that, not even the ruby earrings Lottie bought Rosie that matched their courting necklace from a few years ago. 

He was now helping build the new toys that Ernie and Dottie received that needed assembly. Namely, he was struggling madly with a walker that had small bobbles that popped when the baby pushed it. 

The twins were down for a nap now, Dan was off somewhere in the house “not working” as he told Jay, and Rosie was with Jay in the kitchen working on Christmas dinner. She made a mean mince pie, starting the filling in October, and Louis could already smell the strong scent of cinnamon wafting through the house. 

“Where in the world does this even go?” he asked incredulously to Lottie, who sat across from him in the living room building the matching toy. Louis held up a small, plastic green screw to her, hoping she would have some insight.

“What is that?” she instead asked, not recognizing the piece. “Do I have that?” She started to look through the box and groaned when a matching piece fell out of the bottom.

“I can get a degree at the University of Cambridge, but I can’t build a _toy,”_ he grumbled, snatching up the instructions to read through them again.

“Oh, Lou, I told you years ago they made a mistake letting you in,” Lottie responded, she was obviously joking, but immediately looked like she regretted the words. “That one was out of line, sorry.”

Louis smiled at her, trying to let the comment roll off his back. “It’s fine, Lots.” It really should’ve been. Lottie was the one Alpha in his personal life who absolutely supported his decision to go to school. She didn’t understand it completely, but multiple times when he was working towards his degree, she would take the bus to Cambridge if he was having a hard time.

She would take his books and laptop away if he looked too stressed and play an episode of Friends instead, saying he wasn’t much use to himself worked up. He wouldn’t have graduated without her.

“No, it’s not,” she said. “But I hope you know I didn’t mean it.”

“I do,” he rolled his eyes, trying to keep the conversation light. “Now, _please_ tell me how you made yours stand up.”

It was nearing midnight, Lottie and Rosie were long gone and the house was quiet as everyone slept after such a hectic holiday. Louis found himself thinking harder than he would’ve liked to when he was alone in his bedroom. It was bare of any personal effects, only a wardrobe and general decorations like a guest room because this wasn’t his home. It felt like it sometimes, most times even, but he didn’t grow up here and it didn’t only smell of him and his mother and Lottie anymore. He loved his new family, he truly did, but he found himself longing for that familiarity sometimes.

Maybe he didn’t have a home anymore. He felt homesick when he was away from both his flat and when he was away from this house, but he never felt truly content in either place. 

He allowed his mind to drift, only for a few moments, to the home he would build with his future Alpha. It made his chest tight and his throat feel like it was being squeezed when he thought about how alone he was without a mate. He tried so hard to be complete, to be his own person, but a part of him was missing. It could be an Alpha, it could be a Beta, he wouldn’t even care too much if it was another Omega. He had accepted his preference of men a long time ago, so that was Louis’ only requirement in his head, but he knew there was someone out there for him. There had to be.

Someone who would not mock him for his goals in life, even if they were small compared to some. He just wanted to be a good teacher, a person who had an effect on future generations. Maybe they would even encourage him to continue onto graduate school like he wanted, to join the few Omegas who had paved the very small path before him. He always felt the need to learn more, be more.

They had to be kind, understanding. He would never want to settle down with someone who thought the way that any Alpha who had tried before thought. 

And he would very much like to be there next to that person right now. Enjoying Christmas together.

He tried not to think these things too often, tried not to get his expectations too high. There were many times when he thought that he was really going to be alone, that no one would want an Omega like him. 

He snuffled his nose and rolled over to his phone, putting on soft music and focusing on that to try and get some sleep, willing the tears that had been collecting in his eyes to recede. It took him longer than he would’ve liked to fall asleep after such a lovely holiday so far.

-

He couldn’t escape the song if he tried, and he has tried. He found himself singing it in the aisles of Aldi on Sunday last week and that was when he knew he truly lost the plot. He walked past the porridge when he was looking for breakfast cereal and all of the sudden, _“oats and beans and barley grow,”_ came out of his mouth in tune with the nursery rhyme.

It was approaching the end of the year and Louis’ schedule had turned into assembly planning. Every July before their summer holidays, the children performed one song with everyone in their class for the parents. Because the school only went up to year 2, each class got to perform their own song. Louis thought “Oats and Beans and Barley Grow” was a classic and easy choice for the children. They would be dressed as farmers on stage for the performance and as excited as he was to see his students in their cute costumes, he also couldn’t wait until it was over so he could stop singing the song every waking moment.

From his spot by the front of the stage, Louis could see Lottie and Rosie sitting in the audience next to Julie. He had introduced them earlier and no doubt Lottie was being nosy and asking about his life and how well he took care of himself. She had insisted that they were attending after Louis mentioned the program in passing and even though he tried to explain that it was for the _children_ not him, she promised she wasn’t going to miss it. She even tried to get Jay and Dan to come into town for it, but the two of them couldn’t make it. Julie, of course, invited herself when Louis mentioned _to her_ that Lottie and Rosie were going. Now Louis was here with more audience members than some of his students for a program he wasn’t even in.

He could choose to be embarrassed or he could embrace it, secretly happy they were there to see him with his class.

Louis tried very hard not to get too emotional as he watched the students he had spent almost every day with for the past nine months singing along to the nursery rhyme without any help. It was only his first year, but he couldn’t imagine his kids growing up to go onto first year was ever going to get easier. 

Almost every single one had brought him some sort of gift this week, not that it was necessary at all, but he felt touched when they each held up their present to them, usually spouting off about how much they were going to miss him.

Now, he was watching from the side of the stage as his students sang, 

_“First the farmer plants the seeds,_

_Stands up tall and takes his ease._

_Stamps his feet and claps his hands,_

_And turns around to view his lands.”_

They were making hand gestures and stomping their feet to go with each word, having practiced every single day for the past month. His privilege of teaching this group was over, but he had faith in the kids and the school they were enrolled in that he knew they were going to continue to grow well.

 _“_ _Oats and beans and barley grow,_

_Do you or I or anyone know how oats and beans and barley grow.”_

When they finished, many of the children’s parents stood to their feet and cheered for them. This was by no means formal, so there were a few who were yelling out their kids name and asking them to smile for various cameras pointed towards them.

Louis rushed over to his class and choraled them together to sit on the floor near the front of the stage to watch the rest of the classes perform their own number. Niall’s class had performed before them with a lovely rendition of “The Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea” with the most adorable sailor hats on. 

As the grade level got higher, the complexity of each number grew too. He was sitting next to his class on the ground, grinning wide at everybody performing and telling the children when to clap. There were only two instances he had to quiet his kids down, but other than that they were perfect angels, making him so proud. 

After the last year two class finished their song, Mrs. Calder, the headmistress of the primary school made a brief speech thanking everyone for a great year and inviting them all to help themselves to refreshments in the back of the auditorium.

Louis stayed with his group of students and saw that everybody found their parents. He even posed for a couple of pictures with the little farmers before he made his way over to his own audience .

He was trying very hard to keep his emotions in check before he walked up to the three of them, but there were happy and sad tears welling in his eyes. 

“Oh, Lou,” Lottie tutted, immediately wrapping her arms around him.

Rosie put her own hand on his shoulder and gave him a pat while smiling gently at him. “They did so well!” she cheered.

He sniffed and rubbed at his eyes, pulling away and smiling at them. “Oh, I know. I’m just a little upset to say goodbye to them all.”

“You’ll still get to see them next year,” Lottie assured, keeping her hand on his right shoulder.

“Ugh, I know,” Louis said, whining a bit. “But I’m still a right mess about it.”

“I know what will make you feel a bit better,” Julie piped up, hooking her arms through Louis’. “Let’s go have a nice dinner, your landlord is paying for everyone.”

Louis, Rosie, and Lottie each opened their mouths to argue, but the older Omega just shushed them all and started to lead Louis out to her car since she drove them both here. “What are you in the mood for?”

Just before exiting, Louis heard his name being called by a very familiar voice.

He turned around and barely had time to react before Gavin, a boy from his class, was hugging his leg.

His farmer hat was hanging by his neck on his back, having flown off when he rushed over, and he had two party rings in one of his hands that were melting and getting color on his fingers. 

“Just wanted to say goodbye again,” he said, pulling away from Louis’ leg, his lips pouting a little bit. “I don’t want to go to year one now.”

“Oh, don’t say that, Gavin,” Louis cooed, fixing his hat back onto his head. “You’re going to have just as much fun next year as you did this year.”

He looked thoughtful for a moment before he admitted, “I guess.”

“Gavin!” they all heard from a few meters away. 

“Coming!” the little boy responded back, retreating from Louis. “Bye, Mr. Tomlinson!” he called, waving with his sticky, cookie filled hand before turning and running up to his Omega father. 

“See, little brother. They’re going to miss you too.”

-

Growing up, summer holiday was Louis’ favorite part of the year. His mother would take him and Lottie to stay with his grandparents in the small, coastal town of Cromer for a month at a time. There wasn’t much to do besides go to the beach, but that was enough for the two of them. They would get a couple of pounds a day and were sent out of the house after breakfast until dinner at 5:30, precisely, every single day.

Sometimes they would find as many children around their own ages as possible and play a quick game of football, but mostly he remembers Lottie having to coax him into the water because he was more interested in making sandcastles or picking up seashells to add to his collection than he was swimming in the cool water. She won every single time and he would always find himself having a good time despite his earlier protests jumping the small waves with her or just floating in the sea.

As they each got older, and up until the final year they visited when Lottie turned 17, they both lounged on the sand most of the day working on their tans and playing on their phones rather than playing much sport or digging in the sand. But as the sun was getting lower, the thing that never changed was the two of them buying a 99 flake every single day without fail. Their grandparents always thought that they spent their money on lunch, but they would sneak out snacks from the house and buy ice cream instead. 

On their walk home, both kids would hurriedly eat the ice cream to dispose of any evidence and throw the tissue in the bin outside so their grandmother wouldn’t ask any questions about them. They were never caught, but Louis wasn’t sure that his grandma didn’t know exactly what they were doing since she kept buying the packaged foods that they would take for lunch. And he’s almost positive they weren’t subtle about their giggles whenever asked what they bought that day during their meal together.

Both of his grandparents on his mother’s side had passed away now, a thought that still sent a pang through his chest. He still dreamed of the seaside every summer, but not as much before as he did now.

As a teacher, the end of summer was his time off. Not completely, as he still had to prepare for the next year and attend both meetings with the entire school and more focused meetings with Niall on their curriculum requirements, but he found himself more often than not in one of the many parks around Cambridge laying on a blanket in the sun and thinking about his grandparents' home by the sea.

When he was leisurely walking home one Tuesday evening, taking his time by going the long way home that took him through the city’s center and right beside the River Cam, he noticed a small soft serve stand on the sidewalk and smiled softly.

He walked over to it quickly and waited in the small queue behind a beta couple. 

“What can I get for ya’?” the employee in the stand asked when he was up to the front.

He only glanced at the menu for a second before answering with, “a 99 flake, please,” while rummaging through his wallet to use up his coins.

It was mere seconds after paying that he was handed the swirling, vanilla ice cream cone wrapped in a napkin with the iconic chocolate flake bar sticking out of the top.

“Cheers,” he said to the stall before resuming his walk home. He shamelessly ate the chocolate first before beginning to eat the soft serve, something that was a point of contention between him and Lottie, who preferred to slowly eat it with each bite.

It wasn’t nearly the same feeling as being a kid and knowing he had his grandparents to go home to, but it felt as close as he could get which was good enough for right now.

-

**_September, 2017_ **

At precisely 10:25 each day, Louis’ classroom dissolved into madness. Because at 10:25 each day, the small alarm on his desk shaped like a pig starting to oink - lunch time. 

This was apparently a sign to his students that they could leave their inside voices behind and rush to their cubbies to grab their lunch kits.

Louis thought that a year of teaching under his belt would help him feel more in control of his small classroom, but if anything the experience has taught him to accept the chaos. Reception was a year of learning, but it was also a year of adjustment for most children, who have never been to a structured school before. Patience was what Louis had learned more than discipline.

“Alright, settle!” he called, delicately pulling himself up from his sitting position on the carpet where he had been reading out loud before the interruption. “Line up, please!” he asked, switching off the alarm and watching as his new students fell into a wonky formation that could be called a line if you squinted _extra_ hard.

The 13 of them were still giggling and talking amongst themselves as Louis made his way to the door in front of them - it was hard to hide his small smile as he observed their behavior. Composure has always been one of his weaknesses when it comes to the behavior of a child.

“Who is line leader today?” he asked, even if he knew the answer. He rotated each day by placing a small sticker on a student’s desk before they arrived. 

A five year old girl called Mia flung her hand up right in front of him, using the other to point to her sticker proudly displayed on her chest. “Me, Mr. Tomlinson!” she proclaimed.

“Alright, Mia, you know what to do then. Please lead us outside today and I’ll follow behind,” he told her, his voice lowering as he addressed the girl alone. 

He stood to the side as his class started to snake their way outside of the door and towards the picnic tables outside, making small remarks as they passed. _“Has everyone got their lunch? No talking in the halls, please. Boys, please get in line.”_

He closed the door behind himself, his own lunch in hand, and followed his small group down the halls. Niall, or Mr. Payne as the students knew him, was bringing his own reception class outside in a similar fashion right behind him, as they both had the same time slot. He was Louis’ friend and only solace in the school, still being one of the only other Omegas working full time. He liked the rest of the staff just fine, but he only remained close with Niall.

In front of him, just after passing the threshold out of their classroom’s corridor, Mia came to a stop and caused a slight domino effect as the rest of his students stopped behind her. As if they had rehearsed it, together they all looked back at him for guidance.

Louis frowned, seeing a large crowd of what he thinks are second years, the schools oldest grade, in front of the auditorium, blocking the path to their lunch spot. 

He racked his brain to try and remember what, exactly, was happening today that his students were not a part of. 

“Mr. Tomlinson?” a voice asked - Mia, again, he realized. “What do I do?” 

Louis smiled and said, “how about I lead us outside and you can be line leader again tomorrow, huh?” 

She looked a little put off with him, to be honest, but she nodded her head in agreement at the prospect of getting to be leader for two days in a row. 

Louis made his way to the front of his class and saw, in front of the doors to the auditorium, the most ridiculous Alpha he had ever seen welcoming the crowd inside. He was dressed up, from head to toe, in some sort of old fashioned outfit. Like something straight out of the Renaissance fair - colorful hat and hose and all - much to the delight of the children.

He led his class against the back wall to go around the crowd that was now diminishing as they filtered into the auditorium, still looking at the costume and trying very hard to remember why he was here. Surely there was a memo about this.

His own students could be heard behind him making their own discoveries about the Alpha and he supposed he would let their talking in the halls slide in such a circumstance.

Without warning, the Alpha turned around and made eye contact with Louis just before they passed each other’s eyesight and _who_ gave permission for him to look that good in such a garish outfit? He was a very handsome man, one that Louis hadn’t seen before. Short, managed brown hair curling and framing his face under a sweeping hat adorned with feathers. His jawline was sharp, intimidating, but his face warm as he interacted with the children going inside. He held himself with such confidence that once looking at him long enough, it almost didn’t seem abnormal what he was wearing.

They smiled at each other, and sure enough the man had _dimples_ that Louis could see from across the space between them. Louis turned around after that, before it could be called lingering and finally arrived at the door leading outside. 

The sun was out today as he opened the door and held it for both his and Niall’s class, shining bright and warm as the children hurried to sit at the six tables in the sun to begin eating. 

Once Niall passed through, Louis let the door close and asked, “Why was there a clown in our auditorium today?” as they walked to sit down at their own table. It was almost an unspoken rule that they sat at a certain table each day, most times alone, but sometimes with any student who wanted a little extra attention with them. 

Niall let out an indignant noise and started to open his own lunch. “Lou, I love you, but that was not a clown and you should _know_ that it’s part of Liam’s new education outreach program. We’ve discussed this before, there was even a meeting about it!” He was only teasing Louis, his Irish accent thicker when he was joking around.

And _oh_ , maybe that does sound familiar when Niall brings it up, but how was Louis supposed to know that an outreach program from Cambridge University included _costumes_? The program did not involve Louis’ class, them being just a little too young, so he mostly tuned out the meeting that was held before autumn term started. 

“Sorry, I have a habit of tuning Liam out,” Louis responded much to Niall’s delight as he began laughing like it was the funniest thing he’s ever heard (this was practically a character trait in Louis’ Irish friend). 

They didn’t say much else before they both got up and made their rounds. They had made the habit last year of checking on the students before they got _too_ far into eating - making sure that nobody needed any help with anything before they tried to start eating themselves. 

Lunch passed quickly and without any difficulties besides one of Niall’s students called Thomas spilling his thermos of water. After their meal time is over at 11:15, they move their classes over to the play area, full of slides and jungle gyms, until noon so another year can eat at the tables. 

Today, however, it didn’t look like the first years were alone. There was a particular table crammed with more kids than normal, all trying to get a seat next to the Alpha that Louis had seen earlier.

“Man, he makes me wish I didn’t jump on Liam first chance I got,” Niall quipped next to him, gazing over with Louis.

Louis squacked, laughing and hitting Niall’s shoulder lightly. “You can’t just say that!”

Niall shrugged, grinning at him. His relationship with Liam was so strong, they both knew he was joking and their relationship was healthy enough that Louis knows he would say the same thing even if his Alpha was standing next to them. “Not like you can’t smell an unmated Alpha from a mile away.”

“Some of us, _Neil,_ have children to look after and can’t lust after every passing Alpha,” Louis sniffed, looking back at his kids and accounting for all of them by number. It was something he found himself doing often, just to reassure any anxiety he had that everyone was safe under his care.

“Now _that_ is an Alpha I wouldn’t mind looking at all the time,” Niall exclaimed, face lighting up as he saw his own mate step outside. 

Louis turned around to see Liam as he walked over to the Alpha they had just been discussing and after a little coaxing, he managed to pull him away from the kids eating their lunches.

Kids came rushing over to Louis and Niall as the two Alphas started walking towards them. 

_“Mr. Payne! Look who’s coming! It’s Mr. Payne!”_

_“I like his hat!”_

_“I think he looks funny.”_

Liam was the first to say something as he reached the pair of teachers and the small crowd of children. “Hello, everyone! Mr. Tomlinson, Mr. Payne,” he acknowledged. He walked closer to Niall, kissing him on the top of his head and saying softer, “hello, love.”

It wasn’t uncommon for Liam to visit Niall at work, if only dropping in to say hello when he was in the building, so none of that was out of place for the children even just a month into classes. Louis loved to see how different Niall was around his Alpha, practically melting into a puddle on the grass below them.

Liam turned around to pull the other man closer to him. “I’d like to introduce a Professor Harry Styles to you both - _Doctor_ Styles if you will.” 

Harry reached out his hand to shake both of theirs as he was introduced, his face much more stern than Louis remembered him looking with the children earlier.

“Harry, this is Niall, my mate, and the other reception teacher Mr. Louis Tomlinson.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Harry said, the timber of his voice much deeper than Louis had expected.

“Excuse me?” a small voice piped up from beside Louis, reaching forward and pulling on part of Harry’s costume. It was a small boy from Louis’ class, James.

Harry’s face transformed right in front of Louis’ eyes when he looked down at the child. He absolutely lit it from the inside out, kneeling down and saying, “yes?” with all of his attention.

James smiled slightly at him, a little nervous. “Um, who are you dressed as?”

“I’m a teacher!” Harry responded, throwing his arms out to show off his outfit. All of the students were around them now, listening quietly to what he had to say.

“My teacher doesn’t dress like that,” James responded, looking back at Louis just to make sure his observation was correct.

Harry laughed softly, glancing up at Louis for a second, “well, I’m dressed as a teacher from the _past_ ,” he explained.

“Like a time traveller? I seen one of them on TV before,” one of Niall’s students said next.

“I’ve,” Niall corrected quickly, raising his eyebrows as the girl blushed. “Good thinking though!” he quickly added.

Harry stood up and said, “Just like a time traveler. My job is to talk about what happened in the past, has anyone heard the word ‘history’ before?” 

Little hands shot up all around them, all of them seeming to forget that they were meant to be in recess right now, much more interested in Harry that the swings. 

“Well, I’m a history professor at Cambridge, right over there.” He pointed across the street in the general direction of the University campus. 

There was a general wave of awe that went through the students as they listened to him explain his job. And soon their hands shot up again, waiting to be called on by the professor. 

Louis let everyone ask a couple more questions, but soon the first years had left their own lunch and begun to overtake the playground. “Alright, everyone!” he addressed his students. “Please say goodbye to Professor Styles, we need to go inside now.”

“My class too. Let’s line up, everyone!” Niall added, giving Liam a quick peck afterwards.

The students all said goodbye, a couple brave ones even going up to give him a hug. This, of course, caused other students to want to do the same.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Professor Styles,” Louis said as his own class lined up behind Mia again after a bit more coaxing, finally ready to go inside. He felt himself blushing, no idea why he was having such a reaction to talking to the Alpha one on one. Okay, maybe he had a little bit of an idea. It had just been so long since he had seen such a handsome Alpha unmated at his age, even a few years older he reckoned.

“Harry, please,” the Alpha requested, looking into his eyes and shaking his hand again. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again eventually, I’m scheduled to come to campus a couple more times this school year.”

Louis fumbled with his response. “I’m sure my students would be happy to see you again.” He nodded at Liam next, saying goodbye quietly before scurrying away. 

Niall and him walked towards the school together, following their students. When they were far enough away, Niall leaned in very close to Louis’ ear. “You’re absolutely fucked.”

Before, when they discussed the Alpha - Harry - from afar, it had felt like teasing. Now, he couldn’t help but think that Niall was spot on.

-

When Harry Styles opened the door to his terraced home in Cambridge that afternoon, he pulled off his jacket to hang it up like any other day. However, he normally wasn’t wearing a white, laced dress shirt with an embroidered jerkin underneath. He had long taken off the bright, blue hat in an effort to save his hair, but he was itching to take the rest of the costume off as soon as possible.

It was very sensible of him to take his car today, he thought, as he began his way upstairs to change clothes. Had he ridden his bike as he normally did, he would’ve had to deal with the attention on his outfit when he was riding home during rush hour.

As he pulled off all of the intricate pieces of clothing off, he was gentle to put them together on his bed to be returned. His colleague and friend, Zayn, had given him permission to use the outfit whenever he needed it. They’ve been working together on an exhibit that will be held in the Fitzwilliam Museum where Zayn is a curator and when Harry mentioned that he was visiting primary schools to talk about the clothes of the Renaissance, he had been quick to offer a few outfits the museum had used for another program. Historically accurate, of course, but not actually having any historical context as they had been made in 2011. 

Harry was unashamed to immediately change into a large jumper and joggers, taking off his contacts and throwing on his glasses to be as comfortable as possible, even at such an early time of day. Today had been a very successful day and the relief after months of planning was astounding, but he found himself exhausted.

A fellow professor by the name of Ben Winston and him had been putting together the Cambridge History for Schools outreach program for the past year under the supervision of Liam Payne, the education liaison. Today was the first day for both of them after all of their preparations. Ben had gone to a secondary school this morning to discuss medieval medicinal practices, a subject much too gory for Harry’s taste. He did, however, speak to Ben on the phone earlier and heard that he, too, had a wonderful day and considered the program a success. 

They were going to have a total of four sessions with their respective schools, with the last being held as a field trip at the Fitzwilliam Museum to take to the kids through actual exhibits.

This morning had been the one he was most excited to teach about, though, as his own Ph.D. dissertation was written about the difference of clothes in portraiture versus everyday life during the Renaissance. He was even able to bring costumes for the kids to create their own outfit with, those sat in the boot of his car right now to be returned to campus tomorrow when he went to lecture in the morning. 

The kids had been excited and eager to learn, something he was wary about as he had never taught that age group before. But, if anything, it was refreshing to have hands shooting up to ask him constant questions because sometimes during his own lectures he struggled to get his student’s full attention on him. The postgraduate classes he taught on early modern visual and material culture were easier to lecture on because every single person was pursuing a history focused degree, but the undergraduates in his general history classes were much harder to please - usually more interested in their Macbooks. 

He had so much fun today, though, and even stayed to eat lunch with both the first and second years he had just spent time with. It was a small school, so his attention didn’t feel stretched very thin. Something about the young students brought out a different side of him, or maybe it was the costume, but he usually spent most days cooped up in one of three places: the Seeley library, his school office, or his house. And he was well aware of his reputation as being a very serious Alpha, intimidating, though he didn’t believe that was his true identity at all. It was just how he presented himself to most of the people he was surrounded with. He was more often than not the youngest in the room professionally, so he tried to overcompensate sometimes, to his own admission.

And the reception students that he met on a whim outside, their reaction to him had been the best, a quieter amazement and slight shyness towards the Alpha.

He had long been anticipating meeting Liam’s mate, who was constantly brought up during their discussions, but he wasn’t expecting to be so entranced by the other reception teacher - Louis. Even now, hours later, he was thinking of the lovely blush that overtook his cheeks when Harry shook his hand.

Harry spent most of his adult life focused on either his studies or his books - 5 of which he has already had published before he was 30. He’s always been the thinker, no matter what period of life he’s been in. During high school, he was constantly being invited to attend University lectures around the country from his small village of Holmes Chapel. When he was only 17, he started attending King’s College to get his undergraduate degree, worrying his mum half to death. After graduating there, he moved to Cambridge to begin his Master degree at the university which soon changed into his Ph.D. candidacy at the same school.

Immediately after completing his dissertation, he was awarded the Faculty’s Prince Consort Medal and elected as a Junior Research Fellow at St John's College. He only lectured there for a year before being offered a lectureship at Cambridge University at 26 where he’s been for 2 years now.

This has left little, if not no, time for him to pursue any type of Omega seriously. There was always something to learn or explore in his small bubble of academia. He’s had flings here and there, with both Omegas and Betas, but has never formally began courting any single person - yet. There was no doubt in his mind that eventually he wanted a family. As he’s started to approach 30 in a few short years and as he watches his Alpha sister, Gemma, raise three wonderful kids, he’s started to think of it more every single day.

He hasn’t, however, had any Omega in mind, no attraction stronger than an acknowledgement of physical beauty. Today, meeting Louis and seeing him interact with the small children in his class with such patience and kindness, something came alive inside of his chest. This wasn’t the first time in his life that he had felt the incessant itch to know more about a subject. However, this was the first time the subject had been an Omega. 

-

It’s December before he goes back for his second visit to the university’s primary school, just before winter holiday. Harry spent approximately 40 extra minutes getting ready this morning in anticipation and forgets to eat breakfast because of it. He’s not dressed up in a costume this time, so he wants to look extra put together.

He couldn’t even pretend it was for the children, who would probably be disappointed in his lack of costume more so than anything else. It was his first time going back to the school and he was hoping to be able to talk to Louis a little bit more after three _months_ of a constant loop of their first meeting playing in his head. It seemed to be never ending and he surprised himself on how much he could obsess over 10 minutes of time. 

After agonizing over what to wear and then getting frustrated at himself for being so frustrated about an _outfit_ in the first place, he found himself dressed in a green suit jacket with matching slacks. He hoped it wouldn’t come off as too intimidating, something he has never worried about, but he thought the brown elbow patches and patterned, cream dress shirt dressed the whole thing down a little bit.

He did style his hair back though, having recently gotten a haircut that was too short for his taste, so his curl pattern was not quite forming correctly.

Since he’s already been once before, this time he doesn’t have trouble finding the main office, but he was balancing a large box of materials for today in both of his arms, so he does struggle with the door a little bit. He set the box down once in the room and informed the receptionist of his name.

“Styles, good to see you here again,” Liam said, coming out of his office once called promptly and shaking Harry’s hand. They aren’t quite on a friend level yet that would forgo the formalities, but Harry enjoys his company and finds him to be the most sincere Alpha he’s met at the entire university.

“Thank you for having me,” Harry replied. “I’m glad the children weren’t scared away by the last visit.”

The receptionist, Mary as she introduced herself earlier to Harry, giggled. “Oh, contrary, Mr. Styles. We all haven’t stopped talking about you!”

Liam laughed politely and gestured to the door leading into the school. “Shall we get a cup of tea and put that box away before the program begins?” he asked, trying to push the two out of the room by holding open the door.

“That’d be lovely. Managed to forget my morning cuppa today.” 

They both waved goodbye to Mary and Harry picked up the box again before beginning to walk down the hall.

“Sorry about her,” Liam sighed, referring to the receptionist who had obviously been flirting with Harry. She had been an unmated Omega and was practically shoving her scent right under his nose which was wildly inappropriate for their location and with the presence of Liam in the room.

“Oh, no bother,” Harry replied. He didn’t want to say he was used to it and come off too arrogant, but it wasn’t as if he wasn’t aware that it was rare for an Alpha of his age and academic distinction to be unmated. “I really haven’t had my tea today, so this is a welcome escape.”

They stopped first by the auditorium, Liam unlocking the doors and allowing Harry to set the box down. 

“Do you mind if we stop near Niall’s room? Just want to pop my head in and ask him something.”

“Of course not.”

“Cheers, shouldn’t take too long.”

They walked down the hallway making polite small talk and saying hello to whomever they passed and quickly came across two doors sectioned off. Each was decorated elaborately and Harry had to practically shove his heart back into his chest when he saw one of them said “Mr. Tomlinson” on the front.

Liam knocked on what was obviously Niall’s door if the giant “Mr. Payne” was anything to go by and didn’t wait for an answer before cracking it open. “Mr. Payne, do you mind if I speak to you out here a moment?” he asked, waving at the kids who were seated at their desks. All of them turned their attention to the door and a wave of whispers started as young students tended to be excited about anything.

“Of course!” Niall replied before instructing his class to work quietly for just one moment, though he knew it was a baseless request.

Once outside, he raised his eyebrows at Liam, “And why did you need to interrupt my class, sir?”

Liam rolled his eyes. “This is the second day Louis’ called out, babe, and I was just wondering if you knew what was going on? Not really any of my business, but I heard the Headmistress talking about it and she was worried.”

Niall tutted and his face quickly became concerned, “Poor lad, he’s got the flu. Been out of it since Saturday. I hope he’ll be able to make it in by the end of the week, but I’m not sure.”

Harry felt as his heart clenched tightly in disappointment, the excitement quickly fluttering away and replaced with disappointment. He had been so looking forward to seeing Louis again after these last few months and maybe getting to know the Omega whom he spent most of his time thinking about better. 

He’s interrupted by Niall shutting the door as he goes back to his class and Liam apologizes for the delay, but Harry is too distracted to respond as they start walking towards the teacher’s lounge again.

It’s frustrating how much energy he’s putting into this little obsession and he scolds himself for being so distracted and foolish.

That evening, he still felt upset about not getting to see Louis and even more upset with himself for feeling this way. He headed into a Super Tesco to try and find something decent for dinner to keep his mind off of things tonight, maybe a pudding he could pass off as a meal. Maybe he was pouting a bit, but he wouldn’t admit it out loud. 

Once his hands are full of a microwave dinner, a bag of Monster Munch, and a single serving Belgian chocolate brownie, he made his way over to the household toiletries to look for a suitable face mask to wear. He usually preferred something a little more natural from Lush, but he didn’t have anything at home and he was already out of the house.

He was browsing very seriously through the selection when there was a small sneeze behind him. “Bless you,” he responded out of habit.

“Thanks,” the person responded, their voice sounding raw and scratchy. 

He turned around once he picked a charcoal mask and immediately dropped all of his items to the ground, cursing himself quickly after for his lack of tactfulness. He bent over to retrieve his items and watched a small hand grab the chocolate brownie that had travelled an impressive amount of space to the other side of the aisle.

“Hello, Doctor Styles,” Louis said, standing up and handing Harry the pudding. His own hands were full of herbal tea, spaghetti hoops, and Lemsip. “Sorry I missed you today.” His voice sounded awful and he looked much paler than Harry remembered, with dark circles under his eyes. Harry wanted to simultaneously scold him for being out of bed and wrap him in a blanket himself.

He was a grown man though, so he had self control and responded with, “I was sorry to miss you as well, but I heard you’re feeling poorly.”

Louis coughed into the crook of his elbow meekly. “Uh, yeah.”

Harry shoved his items into one arm and made grabby hands with his now free hand. “Let me carry these for you, please. Grab whatever else you need.”

Any other day he would’ve protested against the help, but Louis barely managed to get out of bed and walk here today, so he instead handed over the few items he had to the Alpha he had been hoping to see today. “Just need some bread for toast,” he sniffed, smiling in thanks.

They walked towards the sliced bread section and Louis was quick to pick up a loaf of white bread for toast to tide him over for however much longer he was sick. 

“I bet you like all that seeded nonsense, don’t you?” Louis teased, wrinkling his nose towards the more multigrain bread choices.

Harry rolled his eyes. “I won’t dignify that with a response.”

Louis hummed suspiciously.

“But I will say that white bread is glorified plastic.”

Louis’ mouth dropped and he looked over to the Alpha to give him an offended stare, only to see him pretending to look anywhere else but him.

Once at the self checkout, Harry began to scan everything he was holding together and pretended he didn’t hear Louis’ soft voice protesting behind him.

Louis humphed beside him, crossing his arms and pouting a little at being ignored. He was thankful, sure, but there truly wasn’t any need for Harry to buy his 10 pound at most grocery haul.

“Do you have a reusable bag?” Harry asked, finally turning to him when he finished paying for everything. His couldn’t help but smile a bit at Louis’ stance that was about as intimidating as a small kitten.

“Of course I do, what kind of person do you take me for?” Louis asked, reaching into his front jacket pocket and pulling out a small tote. 

“My apologies.”

Once their groceries were split between their two totes, Harry carried the bags to the front door and led them outside. It was quite cold outside, winter still very present in Cambridge at the end of February. Luckily, they hadn’t experienced a lot of snow, but the wind was biting.

“Do you have a car here?” he asked Louis, still holding both bags. He was eyeing Louis’ outfit and mentally making sure that he was going to be warm enough outside. Personally, he would prefer to add mittens to his small hands, but otherwise he looked bundled up enough in a large coat and sweeping scarf Louis was tucking around his neck.

“No, but I really only live around the corner.”

“Are you s-”

“I promise. Right around the corner,” Louis assured, holding out his hand expectantly to take the bag from Harry. “I’ll be in my bed in the next ten minutes.”

Harry narrowed his eyes, but handed the bag over to him. He didn’t want to be the pushy Alpha trying to get an Omega into his car, even if he really wanted to be sure Louis got home safe. “I’m trusting you.”

Louis giggled, throwing the bag over his shoulder. “Thank you so much, Harry. You really didn’t have to buy my groceries.”

“Nonsense, everyone deserves extra kindness when they’re sick. Those are the rules,” Harry babbled, knowing that he probably was too forward, but not regretting it in the slightest.

Beaming up at him, Louis replied, “You’re a good Alpha, Harry Styles.”

Harry felt his cheeks heat up and he knew he must resemble a tomato in color. He let the words linger in the air for a couple of seconds before clearing his throat. “It was nice seeing you, Louis. I wish it would’ve been under better circumstances, like at the school, but still.”

Neither of them moved for a few moments, both just staring dopily at each other until they were interrupted by Louis having to sneeze into his sleeve.

“Alright, you best get home,” Harry said. “Get some sleep, Louis. Feel better.”

Louis bit his lip and began to back up, saying, “See you soon,” before he turned and walked towards his house. He looked back _once_ , something he was proud of, only to see Harry still standing in front of the Tesco watching him leave.

Harry was naive to think he was entranced with the Omega before today, he couldn’t even begin to describe how sure he felt now that he spent even just a little more time with him. Now he knew there was no reason to be worried about his future - his future was right in front of his eyes.

-

His third visit to the primary school is the last time he’ll be there in person until next school year. The fourth meeting with the first and second years took place off campus, so he wouldn’t have any excuse to try and visit Louis.

This meant a couple of things. One, this was the last time he might see Louis for nearly a year and two, he _had_ to talk to him more and exchange some sort of contact information with him. It’s been two more months of no contact between the two and it was driving him insane. He had seriously considered a couple of times going to the school to talk to him, but he didn’t want to come on too strong and that fear was holding him back from doing _anything_. 

Everything that was happening was brand new to him, a feeling he didn’t experience much now in his age and with his experience. Nothing really surprised him anymore, but the way that he was acting felt completely out of character. He knew that it was because Louis’ opinion of him meant much more than he was willing to admit, so he didn’t want to step out of bounds and ruin the relationship before it could even begin properly.

The program was scheduled after lunch this time, so he was heading over to Louis’ room now at the end of the school day, weaving through parents and their kids leaving together. It was an ideal time for him, knowing that they had less of a chance of getting interrupted by a student or other faculty member if he was speaking to him after school hours.

He’s trying not to feel ridiculous in his attire, this time dressed as a cowboy. Not exactly his area of expertise, but the kids today had solved a “mystery” in the wild west with him. He really needed to remember to try and bring a change of clothes with him next time, so that he didn’t have to walk around in this all day. His boots jingled with nearly every step and the vivid blue jeans felt very out of character and uncomfortable.

When approaching the now familiar door, he stopped for a moment because Louis was outside of his classroom with a student who was crying. Harry didn’t want to interrupt the two and make the child more upset, so he lingered at a distance trying to figure out what he should do.

“I promise that your parents haven’t forgotten you, they’re probably just running a little late, alright?” Louis soothed, one arm around the small girl comforting her. His face was the picture of empathetic, blue eyes wide and eyebrows furrowed.

“Promise?” she asked, rubbing her eyes with tiny fists.

“Why don’t we go down to the office and give your mum a call, huh?” Louis suggested, standing to full height and offering to take her hand in his own.

She agreed quietly and put her hand in his eagerly. 

The two of them turned to walk to the office together and Louis found where Harry was standing and noticed his attention on them, fond smile present as he observed the two.

Louis let out a surprised giggle at the outfit Harry was wearing and the little girl stopped crying for a second to try and figure out what was going on.

“Doctor Styles, what a lovely surprise,” Louis remarked when they were closer to each other. He was smirking up and down, lingering on Harry’s cowboy boots and leather chaps. “I didn’t know they turned our school into a rodeo today.”

Harry tried not to become flustered, pulling on the button up shirt he was wearing a little self consciously, and replied with, “Well, no rodeo, but we did solve a mystery.”

“A mystery! How excited the kids must have been,” Louis enthused, eyes twinkling in genuine interest. 

“It was a real challenge, of course -”

“- Of course -”

“- Full of real world examples of crimes that were solved in the 1800s.”

“Did you ride in on a horse?”

“Are you teasing me, Mr. Tomlinson?” Harry’s mouth quirked up at the end.

“Of course.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Tomlinson. We need to call my mummy now,” the student reminded him, tugging on his hand as if to remind him she was still there because the two adults were too distracted by one another.

Louis cleared his throat. “Right, Natalie. Sorry, love.”

“Sorry we missed each other again,” Harry said softly and stepped to the side to let the two pass beside him, cowboy boots clicking on the school tile.

“Me too,” Louis responded, giving him an apologetic smile as Natalie led him away from the Alpha.

Another time then.

-

Harry cracked three weeks before the end of the school year and asked Liam for Louis’ email. He pretended that it was purely for professional reasons, but he knew that Liam had his doubts. It wasn’t, of course, but he didn’t want to admit it to Liam before he was sure that Louis was interested in him. 

He just couldn’t bear that he wasn’t going to the primary school again this year, which meant he had no excuse to see Louis in person until the new school year. And that simply wouldn’t do, he was sure his Alpha would physically crawl out of his skin without at least seeing him once, even if it was purely a professional setting.

_2 July, 2018_

_Mr. Tomlinson,_

_I hope you’re having a lovely school year since we last saw each other. Personally, I am quite glad summer holiday is closer than ever._

_I am reaching out to you in hopes of arranging a meeting with your class on Tuesday, the 16th of July before classes end. The outreach program has had a lot of success with the first and second years, so much so that we would love to try and expand into primary classes next year. This would be a trial of sorts, as we have been reluctant to try and entertain a class so young._

_This would take place any time after noon and until the end of the school day, whatever fits best in your curriculum. I will be off campus with the first and second years prior to this time, so I would be unable to come over in the morning._

_Please let me know if this is something you’re interested in. I can give you a more detailed schedule and subject matter if this is confirmed._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Styles_ _  
_ _harrystyles@cam.ac.uk_

He sent the email from his home study, nervously chewing on his nails - a habit that he thought he had kicked years ago. It wasn’t that he was lying about anything in the email, but he _was_ skipping the part where he had to beg Ben to let him do this by himself instead of as a team. It took several rounds at a local bar before he finally said _“fine!”_ to Harry’s insistence that he knew just the class to try it out on and that _he_ was the one with rapport with the primary school, so Ben’s presence wasn’t needed.

Louis had responded much quicker than Harry thought, he was expecting a response the next morning, but one came within the hour. Lucky for Harry too, who was staring at one of his bookshelves with a tea in his hand nitpicking his diction in the first email.

_2 July, 2018_

_Professor Styles,_

_Thank you so much for thinking of my class for this trial run of the University’s outreach program. We would all be thrilled to have you come in from 12:00 to 14:00. This gives me 15 minutes time at the end of the school day to do the end-of-day announcements and overview with the students._

_I would love to hear more about the program you would be teaching and what I can do to help you and prepare them to be ready to learn._

_I hope you’re doing well, too. I am also ready for summer holiday, but this offer makes me excited for school as well._

_Sincerely,_

_Louis Tomlinson_ _  
_ _louistomlinson@cam.ac.uk_

It took ages for the last Tuesday before classes ended to arrive, but Harry was glad for the morning distraction of the first and second years. They had spent the morning walking around the Fitzwilliam Museum with Zayn as their tour guide. Harry was there almost as a chaperone, only offering his advice and comments when Zayn asked him too.

It was fascinating, watching his work colleague interact with children. Before today, he would say that Zayn didn’t have a mushy bone in his body, but he found that he was very wrong. He was attentive to every single child and answered every single question in a way that made the child feel like they were the smart one for asking, not that he was the smart on for knowing the answer. Harry felt like he learned a thing or two about how he could improve his interactions with children in the future.

It’s been years now that he’s known the other Alpha, having met when they were both completing their Ph.D.’s at Cambridge and bonding over their rigorous revisement schedules. Having a previous relationship established has made the exhibition process run much smoother than he could have ever hoped for. 

Once their final meeting at the museum wrapped and the kids loaded onto their school bus, he was forced to jump into his car and head straight for the primary school as well after saying goodbye to Zayn. There wasn’t a lot of time to be nervous about meeting Louis’ class again because he had to rush to make it before 12.

Dressed in a smart, striped button up with a tailored suit jacket on top, there was no costume in sight again. Having a garish costume to hide behind did come in handy sometimes though, especially when it came to winning over kids. 

He was practically a professional at getting to Louis’ classroom by now, needing no help or directions after checking in with the flirty receptionist - still unmated and still couldn’t be more obvious in her attempts to win over Harry. 

With one last nervous smooth over his jacket, he knocked on the decorated door - now featuring little suns with each student’s name written in the middle. He could hear that the small rumble of speaking before he knocked was quickly hushed when he made his presence known.

After a moment, Louis opened the door wearing a large smile and looking as beautiful as the first day Harry remembers meeting him. He was wearing a large, oversized yellow sweater despite the balmy weather outside with chinos that he somehow made look professional with his rectangular glasses that sometimes made an appearance on the Omega falling down the bridge of his nose. The biggest accessory he wore was his teacher’s ID around a lanyard that had hardly a centimeter of excess space since it was covered with pins and stickers. “Professor Styles!” he exclaimed, practically shining up at the Alpha with his beaming, crinkly-eyed smile. “We’re so excited to welcome you to our class today!”

Once Harry stepped inside, Louis shut the door softly behind him and continued on to address the class. “Aren’t we excited today, everybody?”

“Yes!” they cheered as an answer. They were all seated on the carpet that took up the front of the room, surrounding an area that appeared to have been made for Harry. It held a small rocking chair, presumably Louis’ normally, that had two pillows on the seat and a blanket draped over top. Next to the rocking chair was an open trunk, full of different items. Harry had requested that Louis send a note home to his students’ parents asking the child to bring in something that was important to their family, so he assumed that was what occupied the trunk space.

“Hello, everyone!” Harry greeted, walking to the front of the classroom. “My name is Professor Styles and I teach History at Cambridge University.”

He expected Louis to come up front with him for a moment before sitting at his own desk, but he was surprised to see Louis sit down at the back off the carpet, crossing his legs and allowing a few students to cuddle into his sides. _Fucking cute._ Harry couldn’t look away, momentarily stunned.

“We’ve met before, Professor Styles!” one student exclaimed, making Harry turn his attention back to the group of primary students. “Outside before!”

“Ah, yes. Excellent memory. Do you remember what I was dressed up as?” 

A couple of hands went up to answer his question and Harry was surprised that everyone waited for him to call on someone instead of just blurting an answer out.

He pointed to the boy sitting in the first row, who proudly giggled whilst he stated, “I don’t really remember, but you had a feather on your head.”

Harry let the small bouts of laughter roll off of his back easily, knowing by now not to get offended by such small things when it comes to children. “I was dressed up as a teacher from the _Renaissance_ , a period of time long ago.”

“Why are you not dressed up now?” the same boy followed up with.

“Well, today I have a special lesson for you. We’re going to learn about _each other’s_ history. Can someone please tell me what a memory is?”

Once called on, a girl answered, “A memory is when you remember something that already happened.”

“Excellent answer! That is _exactly_ right!” Harry enthused. “Why do you think we try to remember these memories?”

“We try and remember these memories to _honor_ the past and where we came from. We can’t move forward if we don’t learn from what we already know. What’s something you’ve learned that helps you now?”

“How to tie my shoe. Though sometimes I forget and my mum helps me.”

The lesson continued on, the flow of questions and answers coming easily to Harry and the students who seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say. His favorite part, by far, was going through the trunk and seeing the different things that everyone had brought. It ranged from small trinkets to one very large stuffie that was probably not significant to the whole family as much as it was significant to the girl who brought it in. His favorite was a child whose parents migrated from Poland that had actually brought in a brand new jar of sauerkraut, much to Harry’s delight. He didn’t know as much as his colleague Nick Grimshaw, who taught about the history of food, but he did do his best to discuss why it was important even though the child in question claimed to hate the “stuff.” 

He was sat at Louis’ desk now, watching as each student left with one of their parents. Because the students were so young, they had to be taken out individually by either their parents or a bus captain who brought them to the buses outside in a group. Louis said goodbye to each and everyone of them, helping get their bag ready and grabbing the item they brought in with them, so that they could take it back home with them. Harry himself waved from the desk, not wanting to intrude as Louis talked to some parents about their days, each one seeming interested to hear everything the Omega had to say.

Once everyone was gone, he stood up from his seat to say goodbye to Louis himself, putting the satchel he discarded around his shoulders again. He didn’t want to linger and make Louis feel obligated to speak to him.

“Thank you so much for coming today, Professor Styles. I know the kids enjoyed it and I did as well. I sincerely hope you can come again next year.”

“Harry is just fine, Louis. No need for the titles, I would even consider us friend at this point.”

Louis gave him a small smile from where he stood next to him, a light blush on his cheeks. “That was an amazing lesson, Harry. Truly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this group so engaged.”

“Thank you,” Harry replied, just as honestly. It meant a lot to him that the Omega was so engaged throughout the lesson, seeming just as interested as some of the children whenever Harry snuck a glance his direction.

“What would you have brought, if you wanted to bring something that held meaning to your family?” Louis inquired, arching a brow at him.

His answer was on his hand, the rose carved ring he wore on his left pointer finger. He slid the ring off to show it to Louis in greater detail. “This was my grandfather’s. It was my grandmother’s gift to him when they began courting. He was the best Alpha I’ve ever met and he always treated the Omegas of my family with such kindness and dignity, even when the law said he didn’t have to. I hope to be as good of a husband and father as him one day.” He cleared his throat to try and remain in control. “He passed a couple of years ago, but he gave me this when I graduated with my first degree, my grandmother had passed two years before that. I wish he would’ve been able to see me mated one day, so that I could prove to him that I deserve to wear this.”

“Oh, Harry,” Louis sniffed, emotion thick in his voice as he reached his hand up to gently run his fingers over the ring. “That’s beautiful, thank you for sharing that with me. I’m sure he’s so proud of the Alpha you are right now.”

It hadn’t been word vomit, the words felt calculated as they came out of his mouth, but Harry stood there stunned at what he just admitted to the Omega. The moment felt tangible, like something they’d both want to remember, as they stood in the middle of a rainbow carpet surrounded by empty cubbies and the ABC’s.

**_September, 2018_ **

It almost felt like deja vu, the next time Harry and Louis saw each other. Harry was back for the second year and was now starting his program all over, meaning he was wearing his original costume again when they met eyes across the hallway. 

Louis’ class, being completely new to the school, were amazed again at how he was dressed and he waved confidently at each of them as they passed after they had finished eating lunch.

Stopping briefly, Louis greeted Harry with much more familiarity than last time. “Professor Styles, back again this year?” he asked curiously, trying to be sly and hide the fact that he was absolutely thrilled to see the same Alpha back at the school.

“You can’t keep me away now that I know how lovely everyone is here,” Harry responded, his tone was joking, but the implications were obvious, he hoped. He had been waiting for today, waiting to see Louis, and absolutely thrumming with nervous energy because today was the day that he actually did something about the Omega he had spent a year thinking about.

“Well, I hope that’s true,” Louis replied coyly. He eyed his class wearily as they were getting further down the hall, not even noticing his absence as the line leader walked on.

“Can I come visit you after school maybe? I’ll say hello to the kids and maybe we can catch up since I wasn’t here for lunch today?” Harry rushed to ask Louis these questions because he saw his chance was fleeting.

“Sounds lovely, Harry. Maybe we can actually leave the school and have a cup of tea and a chat, yeah?” Louis asked, starting to step away. 

“See you then,” Harry responded, trying not to seem too keen. He was almost positive he failed if the small and amused look Louis spared him before he rushed away was anything to go by.

Louis’ class was delighted to meet Harry, as they should’ve been, and he had a quick questionnaire with them after Louis hurried through his end-of-day announcements and before their parents began to arrive. 

The last girl to get picked up was called Catherine and an Alpha male who Louis hadn’t met yet was the one to come into the room to bring her home.

Seeing Harry and Louis in the room together and even though Louis was the one helping Cathering gather her things, the man walked up to Harry and held out his hand. “Mr. Tomlinson, good to meet you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not Mr. Tomlinson,” Harry explained, looking over nervously at Louis, who looked hurt at the assumption.

“Has he already gone home?” the man asked, looking slightly confused. 

Harry furrowed his eyebrows and nodded towards Louis, beginning to feel uneasy. “No sir, he’s right here.”

It seemed to finally click in the new Alpha’s head that Harry was referring to Louis, who was now standing alone as Catherine walked up to her father seemingly unaware of the tension growing in the room. “An Omega? Teaching?” he all but sneered.

Louis cleared his throat, trying to gain some confidence - this was his classroom afterall. “Yes, sir. I’m Mr. Tomlinson. You must be Mr. Fern,” he said, holding out his hand.

Instead of shaking it though, the man put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder and forcibly moved them both to the door. “Don’t bother introducing yourself, you won’t be her teacher for long.” 

“Excuse me?” Harry said, standing taller and taking a half step towards Louis to get in front of him slightly.

“There has to be a more suitable teacher in such a distinguished school.”

“Mr. Tomlinson _is_ a suitable teacher -”

“Harry, please,” Louis interrupted. “If that’s how he feels, he should be able to express that to the headmistress.”

Without a response, Mr. Fern gave one last look of disgust towards Louis and with that, he was out the door, letting it close behind him and his daughter.

Louis snorted, trying not to show how affected he was. “Wait until he finds out the other primary teacher is a _mated_ Omega.” He groaned in frustration after, putting his head in his hands in feign exhaustion. “Pardon my language, but what a dick.”

“Oh, don’t apologize. I’d even call him a _knothead_ ,” Harry replied, his nose twitching in disgust. How could someone say such a thing to Louis completely unprovoked and to the Omega’s face? Was this something that happened often? “I hope I looked intimidating enough in this thing. I hate wearing it around after I’m done talking to the kids,” Harry commented, gesturing to his outfit.

“Please,” Louis scoffed, looking up at him under his obscenely long eyelashes. “You’d look handsome in a rubbish bag.”

He didn’t blush. He _didn’t._

“Let’s not let him ruin our afternoon. I was looking forward to talking with you,’ Louis insisted, shaking his head slightly as if to rid himself of the experience.

“Me too, actually. But I am, you know, sorry about him. You don’t deserve to be spoken to like that.”

“Thank you, Harry. That means a lot coming from a distinguished Alpha such as yourself.”

“Titles don’t mean anything in the real world, Louis,” Harry insisted, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, rubbish. Don’t be so humble,” Louis jested. “Now, are you going to change before we leave or am I going to tea with a jester?”

“A _teacher_ and _of course I’m changing.”_

They ended up at a cafe not too far from campus, sitting across from one another over a pot of Earl Grey and a couple of homemade biscuits. Both were chatting about their education and careers thus far. Harry was impressed, but not surprised, to hear of Louis’ own success in academics.

Louis, on the other hand, felt like he was pulling teeth to get more out of the Alpha, who seemed to only want to be the one asking questions instead of answering them. It wasn’t because he was hiding anything, he really was just that interested in what Louis had to say.

Now, though, he was talking about the exhibit he had been working on for months - his very first that he was honored to be a part of. He also revealed that he was writing a book - his _sixth_ \- to be published on the same date of opening.

“Well, it’s not just me, of course,” Harry said humbly.

“Who else is working on it?” Louis asked curiously. This is a subject he’s never really heard too much about, so didn’t know any of the details of curating an exhibit.

“Myself, Zayn Malik the museum curator, and Nicholas Grimshaw, another professor who works at Jesus College.”

Louis made a face, much too obvious, at the familiarity of Professor Grimshaw’s name. It’s been a while since he’s thought of the Alpha whom he had met the previous year. 

“Do you know one of them?” Harry asked curiously, noticing the expression change.

“Um, Nicholas Grimshaw,” Louis responded, not wanting to lie and have it come back to haunt him. Although, he was nervous about this conversation now, knowing that the professional relationship between Nick and Harry was important. “I met him a couple of times through Liam and Niall. He, um,” he was playing with his teacup now, clinking the spoon as he stirred the tea unnecessarily and avoiding eye contact with Harry. “He actually asked me on a date once.”

Harry stiffened next to him, his own face looking much too serious compared to the serene smile he wore a moment earlier when talking about his first museum exhibit. Louis wishes he could somehow take back his words, but he couldn’t now. And he knew the truth was better than anything else. He just hoped Harry was interested enough to keep talking to him. They weren’t courting yet, and even if they were, it was early enough to make a clean break. 

Louis frowned after Harry didn’t respond for a couple of beats. “I’m sorry,” he muttered under his breath.

Harry’s eyes came back to his after he said this. “For what?”

“Making you angry.”

“Louis, _you_ didn’t do _anything,”_ Harry said, shaking his head. “I’m just a little bit jealous that he had the chance to meet you first. You don’t have to apologize for my reaction.”

Louis tried very hard not to drop his mouth open in shock. He had never heard an Alpha say anything even remotely close to that, they usually demanded apologies from anyone they felt had wronged them. 

Harry gently reached over the desk and took Louis’ hand in his own. 

_That_ was new. They had never touched more than the handshake when first introduced and any accidental brushing when Harry visited the kids. It was impolite for unmated Alphas and Omegas to initiate too much touching in public when not courting. 

Louis squeezed Harry’s hand, not caring about social standards right now. “If it makes you feel any better, I shot him down because he’s a wanker,” he explained very seriously, pursing his lips and looking at Harry with mischief in his eyes.

Harry let out a short, _loud_ , laugh that could only be described a honk of some sort before bringing his hand not holding Louis’ to quickly cover his mouth. “I’ve never made that noise before,” he admitted, embarrassed.

Letting out a peel of giggles, Louis threw his head back. He was sure everyone in the cafe was staring at them now, but he couldn’t bring himself to care - the Alpha in front of him was just so _enamoring_ that it alarmed him how much and how often he wanted to be around Harry.

Harry stared at Louis, now laughing with tears in his eyes, whilst running his thumb over Louis’ palm. It didn’t matter that Louis was laughing at his embarrassment, he would probably do anything at his own expense to make the Omega smile like this all of the time. He couldn’t help it, the next rushing out of his mouth before his brain filter caught up to them. “I’d very much like to court you, Louis.”

Louis stood up abruptly, shaking the small table full of flatware and jerking his hands to his own side. His face was white and expressionless, not at all knowing how to react.

Harry stood up with him, his own hand still reaching for Louis. “Louis?” he asked, full of more anxiety than the usually confident Alpha had ever felt before.

“Sorry,” Louis whispered. Now _he_ was the one who was embarrassed and had the entire cafe looking at them again. He sat down again, as quietly as he could manage.

Following his movements again, Harry sat down and this time kept his hands to himself. Was this Louis rejecting him? Had he read the entire situation _so_ poorly?

Louis was trying not to short circuit. Surely, he had heard wrong. He knew that there was something between the two of them, but he was sure that Harry just found him interesting - like another book to read before moving on. 

“I’m sorry that I sprung that on you, I swear I planned it better in my head.” 

_Planned it?_ “Please don’t apologise, Harry. I just, I was shocked.”

Harry looked a little put off at this response. “Well, not to be too assuming, but I thought we were getting along quite well? I honestly though we had something special between us.”

“Is this because Nick asked me out?” Louis asked before he could hold the question back. He knew that was just his own mind being insecure, but he had to ask - he couldn’t take any chances.

Harry looked like Louis had just struck him. “No!” he almost shouted. “No, Louis. Please believe me when I say I’ve wanted to ask you this for the past _year._ I was just nervous.”

Louis smiled softly at that. “You don’t seem the type to get nervous.”

“With you, I find myself struggling with things I never had before.”

Yes, he was nervous and maybe a little bit too insecure about the entire thing, but Louis reached his hand and laid it open in the middle of the table, inviting Harry to take it in his own again.

The Alpha did so, truly thinking that Louis was about to let him down easily. 

“Ask me again,” Louis said instead.

“What?”

“Ask me again and I’ll respond appropriately and not bring Nick Grimshaw into the equation. You can say your whole speech if you want.”

Harry took a deep breath and thought back to his planned speech. “Louis Tomlinson, I’m not sure I’m good at romance,” he started over again, needing the familiarity of rehearsed words. “But every single time I look at you I want to try to learn. I want to be a better man, a better _Alpha,_ because of the warmth and kindness that I see you spread. There has never been another creature I have so much as looked at in the same light as you.

Every single time we were apart this past year, me being too shy to initiate anything, I felt anxious in a way I’ve never experienced. I know, and my Alpha knows, that you are the only one for me. I’ve known since I saw you in the hallway a year ago, wearing the same ridiculous costume that you called me handsome in today. 

I’ve never felt this way. And I hope you feel it too. This - this _connection_ that draws me towards you like a moth to a flame. You bring so much life into my world and Hell, we’re almost perfect strangers. But I just _know._

Louis, if you’ll have me, I would want nothing more than to try and make you feel as wonderful and beautiful as I know you are inside and out, every single day. And to make you laugh as hard as you just were. Will you please do me the honor of allowing me to court you?”

It was such a passionate plea, and the words sounded so poetic coming out of Harry’s mouth that Louis’ gaze fell from Harry’s eyes down to his plush lips. He felt like he was having a fever dream, entirely too real and making him flush hot all over his skin. He’s never had such urges before, but he pushed his body forward and threw his hands around Harry’s neck to bring him in for a small kiss, only slightly aware that he was making another scene at this point. It wasn’t necessarily _traditional_ to kiss so suddenly after agreeing to court, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Of course I would like to court with you, Harry.”

“Really?” Harry had to bite down on his lip to stop from grinning _too_ widely when they pulled away from each other, his own hands reaching up and cradling Louis’ cheeks gently. 

Louis was not much better across from him, eyes crinkling in delight and warmth spreading through his belly. “Really. You were right before. This is special, I’ve never felt this way before.”

“Me neither. Truly.” he brought Louis’ hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. “Truly.”

Eventually, Louis pulled away completely and sat back down in his seat where Harry could see the tears gathered in his eyes, shining an electric blue now. “That was the most wonderful thing anyone has ever said to me.”

Harry refused to let go of Louis’ hands as he settled again, wanting to be touching him in some way now that he knew he could. “I will probably not be able to stop saying such things now that I’ve begun.”

Louis giggled then, breaking the tension in their eyelines and smiling so hard, his eyes were practically closed when he tucked his neck down in such textbook submission to the Alpha.“Who knew you such a serious Alpha? I would have never guessed from your tights.”

Harry laughed, feeling content and free in a way he hasn’t in the past year. “Ah, my one weakness. Who doesn’t like to play dress up every now and then?” 

There would never be another time that he would have to go two months without seeing Louis at all. He had never felt so sure of anything in his life.

When Louis arrived home that evening, after one last kiss in Harry’s car, he was buzzing. It was surreal that he was actually being courted by the Alpha and they were now destined to be _mates_. 

How was he going to tell his _mother?_ He hadn’t even mentioned the Alpha to her before, she was going to be in complete shock.

Courting, even after all of their strides so far when it comes to Omega’s rights, was still something that wasn’t considered old fashioned. Only the most radical groups were pushing for the removal of the year long process, but Louis found it to be something sacred that should be maintained, consensually, of course. That was his biggest stance on the entire issue. As long as it truly is the Omega’s choice to begin courting, it allowed for the Alpha and Omega to get to know one another on a deeper level. Without courting and when rushing into a bond, should the pair not be properly suited for one another they would have to have the Omega’s bite removed which would cause the Omega immense pain at the end of the relationship. Louis saw this as an irresponsible and rash choice.

He was now joined with Harry in the first of four stages of courting - Companionship. Each stage was about 2-3 months depending on how fast the relationship was moving, but at minimum they were one month. It was the most casual of the four parts where the two would begin to get to know one another. In the past, Companionship happened in the home of the Omega for brief periods of time that were always chaperoned. In modern days, it is usually a series of dates that happen in very public places.

The scary part, which Louis had never considered frightening until now, was that both of them could walk away at any time during the first stage. There is nothing binding them together after such a short time, their scents will remain unaffected. This was scary to him now because he finally felt like he had something - someone - to lose. 

Louis, as the Omega, would be the one to begin part two - Offerings. This is significant because it is the first formal declaration of an Omega’s true consent to the entire affair as the Alphas are the ones who ask the original courting question. During this time they will shower each other with gifts that did not necessarily have to have a monetary value, even little things like a home cooked meal or a small note - those were significant too.

The Alpha ends Offerings by presenting the Omega with a necklace to be worn later in part four. There are traditional emblems, but it is usual made custom to mark a significance between the couple.

Part three is potentially the shortest part of a courtship. Called Debut, it is when an Alpha and Omega make formal introductions to their extended families, usually during a gathering. Their official and possessive titles are used between the two and Louis was already flushing thinking about Harry calling him “ _My Omega.”_ Once this stage is reached, it is almost unheard of to stop courting because the couple is already tied together.

The most possessive and primal stage is four - Domestication. There is little to no physical contact with anyone else besides their intended. Omegas wear the necklaces gifted to them by their Alpha to warn off other people - even their own friends and family - from touching them. 

It is out of respect to both the Omega and the Alpha to refrain from tainting their individual scents which have begun to combine together. The Omega feels more inclined to begin to nest and it’s not uncommon to begin moving in with one another to begin their coupled nest together. The Alpha begins to feel much more territorial with the bonding looming closer and if another Alpha tries to encroach on their Omega, the results can be deadly.

Courting ended, of course, with the Alpha biting the Omega’s scent gland to bond with them and Louis subconsciously found himself rubbing over the spot in his neck gently as he thought about his future. He was _courting_ with _Harry._ Harry wanted to _mate_ him. Would he ever stop feeling so giddy at the thought?

-

Their first official date was the following weekend, both eager to see each other again. It was at a restaurant Louis wouldn’t dream of eating at if the choice was his, but he was trying very hard not to seem out of place in the dimly lit, modern steakhouse Harry had driven them both to. Almost immediately when Louis opened the menu, he noticed the lack of prices. This was usually an indication that he couldn’t afford anything on it, but Harry was quick to order for the both of them when he saw Louis’ reluctance.

The Alpha showed up to his house earlier with flowers - gorgeous, pink peonies that were blooming - like something out of a movie. Louis rushed into his house to put them in a vase while Harry waited outside. Eventually, he gave up on his search to find something suitable to put them in and instead threw them into his practically empty fridge for him to deal with later before rushing back out of his front door.

“I, uhm, told my mum, Robin, and Gems last night about you,” Harry admitted over their shared appetizer of an array of roasted vegetables. Not Louis’ normal style, no, but he would be lying if he said every single thing he’s tried so far wasn’t delicious.

“Really? How did they react?” Louis asked nervously, not sure how strict Harry’s family was. He’s heard bits and pieces now, but he only knew enough to know their first names and that Harry was especially close to them all. Gemma lived in London and the two met up frequently whilst Anne and Robin lived in his hometown, where he tried to visit as much as possible.

“They’re excited. Of course they are!” Harry parroted, excited as he remembered the tearful phone call he had with him mum and stepdad over speakerphone yesterday. Gemma was much more reserved and had no shortage of sarcastic comments, but that wasn’t anything new in their relationship. “Surprised, but thrilled. They all say they can’t wait to meet you. Mum because she’s excited and Gemma insists she wants to meet the Omega who finally took my head out of a textbook for once.”

“I can’t wait to meet them and get to know them better either. Right now, they’re practically just names to me, but knowing they’re related to you makes me feel more at ease. Can’t be that bad, right?”

“Oh, please. Gemma is the _worst_ , but something tells me you’ll get along just fine.”

Louis laughed, enjoying hearing Harry talk about his family with such playfulness. “ _Clearly_ our older sisters come from the same batch. Lottie is incessant that her sense of humor is God’s gift to the world.” 

“I take back what I said. It sounds like _Lottie_ and Gemma will get along just fine. I’ve definitely said exactly the same thing about Gems before.”

Louis thinks back to his own phone call that week with his mother, whom he had called first as soon as he arrived home from the cafe. She had genuinely sobbed, having to put the phone down for a few moments before she could speak to him properly. 

_“My baby, I’m so happy,”_ she had said. _“I’m sure he’s perfect. He has to be.”_

“My mum already loves you,” he told Harry, reaching to grab some of the sourdough that was sliced in front of him. Maybe he would stress about his table manners later, but everything was so good that couldn’t resist digging in.

“Oh, really?” Harry inquired, fork pausing just before he took a bite. 

“Oh, yes. So please don’t have any concerns on that end, she’s thrilled.”

“That is so good to hear. I’ve been a bit nervous about her since I’ve heard of how close you were. Mothers tend to be very protective of their Omegas.”

“Well, I think she knows how picky I’ve been,” Louis said carefully, trying not to appear like he had such high standards. “You just, it’s a perfect match. I do believe that.”

Harry knocks his foot against Louis’ under the table to get him to look back up. “I think so too.”

By the time the steak comes out, Louis is stuffed on bread and the multiple appetizers Harry ordered. So much so, he asks for a togo box almost as soon as it hits the table.

“Not used to this much food,” he admits as the plate gets taken away. He feels guilty that Harry is still in the middle of eating, but he hadn’t realized the waiter was going to wrap it up right away. “Please don’t rush, I didn’t mean to speed the meal up so much.”

Harry cut at his own steak with the sharp knife they were both given, taking another bite before putting his utensils down as well. “Next time, I’ll go a little bit easier when I order, I’m stuffed too. Honestly, I was just trying to impress you,” he confesses sheepishly. When the waiter comes back, he asks for his steak to be wrapped up as well and they both giggle slightly at the annoyed glance the waiter sends them.

“Whoops,” Louis giggled.

“Guess I’ll just have to tip him a little extra, eh?” he suggested, raising his eyebrows. “Now, would your stomach be opposed to dessert or are you going to share the sticky toffee pudding with me?”

-

The cafe becomes their temporary home together, a place for the two of them to meet every Tuesday and Thursday. Harry didn’t have any afternoon lectures to teach, so he would meet up with Louis in their corner - the same spot every single time. The staff were now on a first name basis, getting to know the couple quite well because of their constant attendance.

They share secrets over two pots of tea, the perfect amount for the two of them to stay until 5 in the evening. Harry drives Louis home then, so that they can both eat dinner in their respective homes. It gets harder every day for Harry watch Louis walk away without being able to follow him and continue the conversations they were previously having, but he knew eventually he would be surrounded by the Omega all of the time in _their_ nest, so he was able to hold off for now. 

It’s a month into their courting when Louis finally tells someone besides his family. He kept quiet about everything in the beginning because he didn’t want to jinx himself, but the entire relationship felt so natural that he couldn’t keep it a secret any longer.

Niall responded loudly and with just as much enthusiasm as Louis expected. “I _knew_ it! I _knew_ you were hiding something from me!” he shrieked, standing across the room from Louis in his own classroom after all of the children went home. “Oh, I’m so going to rub this in stupid Liam’s face! He told me I was being _dramatic._ Me? _Dramatic?_ More like psychic.”

“How could you have possibly known?” Louis questioned, expecting excitement for his courtship, but not for Niall knowing more than Liam.

Niall didn’t even dignify that question with a response and instead went right into begging. “Please, _please_ Louis let me call Liam and be the person to tell him. I won’t ever ask for your help cleaning my classroom again, I swear.” He put his hands together and gave him puppy dog eyes. He looked like he was practically willing to kneel on the floor in desperation.

“We both know that is an absolute load of shite, Niall.” 

And they did, it was practically an everyday occurrence that Louis spent at least fifteen minutes straightening up Niall’s classroom before class began. In return, he often received some sort of breakfast pastry, so he really didn’t have any true complaints.

“That doesn’t sound like a no!” Niall screamed, running to get his phone off of his desk and pushing things onto the floor without any care. Something Louis was probably going to pick up in the morning. “Oh, he is going to eat his own words. Stupid, stupid Alpha. Why can’t he just accept that I will _always_ be right?”

He put the phone on speaker and walked over to stand next to Louis, his grin practically reaching his ears as he tried to hold in his laughter.

“Hey, babes, what’s up?” Liam asked when he answered after a couple of rings.

“Oh, _nothing_ , sweetheart. I’m just here with a Mr. Louis Tomlinson who has just told me the most _wonderful_ news,” Niall answered sarcastically. “What was it you told me Louis? Oh, you’ve been courting Professor Harry Styles for a month and hiding it from your best friend Niall even though he would _never_ do such a thing to you?”

Liam sputtered on the other line, more surprised by Niall saying Harry’s name than anything else. “I didn’t even know they were friends!” he exclaimed in shock.

Niall looked at his phone with the most disappointed face Louis has ever seen him wear. “Oh, catch up for God’s sake. That’s _old news_ that I could’ve told you ages ago. You’d have to be blind to miss that. _Honestly_ , Liam, I thought I raised you better than this.”

“You didn’t raise anything, Niall. We’re mated. _Mated. Married.”_

Louis couldn’t hold in his laughter anymore at that point and absolutely _lost it_ , clutching at his stomach to try and support himself. No, he didn’t understand their relationship dynamic, but he didn’t have to because it wasn’t his business to.

“Well, I think I’ve finally broken him, Liam,” Niall deadpanned, giving Louis a judgemental once over. “See you at home, love you, I was right,” he rushed, hanging up the phone before Liam could even respond. “He’s clueless.”

Niall slipped the phone into his back pocket and brought Louis in for the tightest hug he could manage. “Oh, Louis. I’m so happy for you,” he said sincerely, completely switching his joking tone to let Louis know that he was being genuine now. “You’re going to have a great life with your Alpha, trust me. I know these things.”

Julie, the only other person he really had to tell, was much calmer, but just as excited for him.

“You think I didn’t notice an Alpha’s car picking you up and dropping you off nearly every day? Louis, I thought you knew me better than that,” she quipped, tutting over her dinner later that night.

All her comments did were prove Niall’s point that he was absolutely rubbish at keeping secrets. He thought he was being subtle, asking Harry to drop him off two houses down, so that they could escape her prying eyes. 

“Oh,” was all he said, staring at his pasta in confusion. This day had not gone at all like he thought it was going to.

“But just because I already know doesn’t mean I’m any less excited to meet him. I know he has to be a special one for you to act this way. Like a brand new Omega who just saw an Alpha for the first time after presenting.”

(Before bed, Louis called Harry like he has every other night. When the Alpha asks how everything went on his end, Louis complained, “Harry, everyone already _knew_. It was like I could’ve shown up with a bond mark and they wouldn’t have been surprised.”

Harry made a choking noise on his end. “Don’t tempt me, Louis.”)

-

The beginning of December, when the weather is leaning on the side of much too cold, Louis gave Harry a gift to begin the second part of their courting rituals together.

It’s not much, yet it was still more than he could afford, but he still hadn’t told Harry that he was struggling to stay afloat. He was too afraid that it would be too much baggage for Harry to carry, so he kept it to himself. He switched to pot noodles most nights to afford their near constant dates. The Alpha insisted on paying for any meals the two eat together, but the five pounds he spent on their tea twice a week was really beginning to add up.

Still, he saved what money he could and bought Harry a jade cross necklace. Harry already wore a cross or a saint pendant on his neck every day, so when Louis spotted this in an antique store, he couldn’t resist. It was almost iridescent and reminded him of the sea glass he grew up collecting, gleaming in direct sunlight. The color was bold in a way that reminded him of Harry, so he hoped more than anything he would like it. 

Personally, he thought it was perfect, and it was practically burning a hole in his pocket as he carried it around on their date waiting for the perfect moment.

They were wandering around some Christmas markets in downtown London today, having taken the train early in the afternoon. Louis thought it was just the right time to offer Harry his gift - to consent and prove to Harry that he was committed to mating with him for the rest of his life. It almost felt redundant at this point, to tell Harry how he felt, but then again, is it ever redundant to express your love for someone else?

When they were both holding a hot chocolate in their hands, Louis slipped his free hand into his front pocket. “Harry, I have something for you,” he said casually, as if he was not about to open his heart and be completely vulnerable to Harry’s reaction.

Harry paused next to him, setting his drink down and reached a surprisingly steady hand to grab the box out of Louis’ outstretched hand. He opened it gently, as if any sort of pressure would break it, and let out an, “Oh, Lou,” when he saw the necklace that was inside.

Louis looked down at the boots on his feet, shuffling them a little. “I want you to know that I’m ready to begin the next part of our mating, Harry. I think I’ve been ready since we started, there’s nothing I’ve been more sure of in my entire life than the fact that I was made for you.”

“And I for you, sweet Omega,” Harry said, frowning when he looked up and saw Louis’ gaze on the ground. “Please look at me.”

Louis responded to his request immediately, looking at up at Harry and before he even had a moment to comprehend what was happening, they were kissing. Harry brought a hand up to cradle Louis’ cheek, a move that was habit by now. Louis loved it, it made him feel absolutely delicate the way Harry handled him like he might break. He’s never liked that feeling before, but he also trusted Harry in a way he had never experienced before now.

When they were both breathless and before it could go too far for the public eye, Harry broke away and rested his forehead against Louis’ below him. “Thank you. I wish I could say something that meant more than those two words. Thank you for choosing me.”

Offerings started off with a new flourish, both the Alpha and Omega giddy to give each other something every single day. 

Harry had been at Louis’ doorstep every morning with a cup of tea and pastry - ready to give him a ride to work in the morning even when he had lectures in the afternoon. 

When Harry came over to teach the first and second years - the program still not expanded to primary school quite yet, he first dropped by Louis’ class with boxes full of donuts for the children and another large bouquet of flowers.

Louis was the talk of the school at this point, this being the third time Harry has given him an absurd amount of fresh flowers. The first two were delivered, so he had to go to the office to collect them, getting a scowl from the receptionist and giddy whispers from other administrators. The first held only a large bunch of his own favorite flowers, irises Harry learned, and the second was a large mix of fresh roses and other greenery. 

From Louis to Harry, his gifts were much smaller in monetary value, but he tried to put as much thought into them. Harry’s favorite so far was the small notes he kept finding in his textbooks when flipped to the chapters he was currently giving lectures on. 

Those and when Louis surprised him in the back of his classroom one Wednesday, hidden in the near hundred students he was lecturing until afterwards when everyone was clearing out and Louis made his way down the stairs.

“Excuse me, Professor Styles?” Louis asked coyly, tilting his head when Harry turned around to address his student - ready to tell them his office hours the next day so that he could get home.

“Louis!” Harry gushed when he noticed who it was standing before him, arms full of various objects. Leaving his notes behind to pull the Omega into his embrace, Harry was quick to kiss him and had to ignore the few comments and catcalls from the students that were still in the room. “What are you doing here?”

Louis gestured to what he was holding, having a full Tesco bag and a giant blanket between the two of his hands. “I was hoping you could join me for dinner tonight?” he asked, tucking his chin whilst timidly waiting for Harry’s answer.

It came quickly though, the Alpha giving an emphatic, “of course, baby,” that made Louis flush. The pet names were new, but he held on to each one dearly.

“Let me grab my things and then we’ll go wherever you want to,” Harry said, going back to shoving his papers into his usual shoulder bag he wore. One day he’ll be responsible enough to have an actual system, but today was not that day.

They ended up under a tree on campus, sitting on a bench and wrapped in Louis’ giant blanket. It was freezing outside, on the verge of snow in fact, but they snuggled close and kept each other warm as they ate their dinner of crisps and sandwiches from the reduced section. It was Harry’s favorite date so far and his favorite offering as well. With Louis, it was about the small moments.

-

“What do you mean you aren’t coming home on Christmas Eve?” his mum sniffed. Louis could practically feel her disappointment over the phone speaker.

Louis’ birthday snuck up on him since he found himself so occupied in his courtship. So much so that he forgot to tell his mother that he was taking an early train home on Christmas Day, choosing to spend his actual birthday with Harry in London since they’ll be apart until closer to New Years. She had texted him this morning and asked what time his train arrived and he’s spent the last 30 minutes absolutely panicking, trying to work up the courage to call her.

“Mum, I’m so sorry I forgot to tell you,” he apologized genuinely. He really did just forget, there wasn’t anything he was trying to hide from her.

“I already made your cake.”

“Oh god, _mum_. Please don’t hate me.”

“I could never hate you, pup. I just wish you would have broken my heart last week, so I would’ve had time to get over it before Christmas.” Her tone, thankfully, turned humorous as she exaggerated her plight.

“I’ll bring you an extra present to make up for it,” he shot back, relieved to hear her joking with him. Before calling, he had been so nervous that this phone call would be full of tears. He hoped that she truly was going to be alright with the change of plans and was not just hiding it from him until they hung up.

“Now tell me, where is Harry taking you for your birthday today that is _so_ much better than Doncaster? You said somewhere in London?” she asked curiously.

“Yes! I’m so excited, I think we’re going to this restaurant he always talks about that has some sort of observation deck and looks over the city. He won’t tell me for sure, but every single time we’ve visited London, he brings it up and _insists_ he’ll take me one day.”

“It sounds lovely, Lou. I know you’re going to have a great time. Wish I could meet the man already, you make him sound like a dream every single time we talk about him.”

“Soon, of course. Once we begin our Debut, we’ll make a trip up together. We’ve discussed it already and I think we’re going to have a party and make individual trips to each other’s family homes.”

“Planning quite far out, aren’t you?”

“Maybe,” he admitted, biting his lip. 

“Well, sweet boy, I guess we could have cake tomorrow. There’s no such thing as too many sweets on Christmas, afterall.”

“I love you, mummy. Thank you for being so understanding.”

“I love you too, sweet boy. And I will be there tomorrow morning to pick you up. I might be half asleep at five in the morning, but I’ll be there.”

“Right,” he said, nodding even though she couldn’t see him. “Same place as always.”

“Happy birthday, Lou. Have a great night tonight, I love to hear that you’re so happy. Makes me worry less.”

“But still worry.”

“Of course, that’s my job.”

“I can’t believe you’re pouting because I guessed right,” Louis laughed as he and Harry stood in the elevator going up to the 40th floor of Heron Tower in London. 

The Alpha next to him looked as petulant as some of Louis’ reception students, having insisted the entire time that they weren’t going to The Duck and Waffle in attempts to surprise him. 

Louis eventually gave in and pretended that he didn’t know exactly what was happening, but Harry knew he was faking it as they reached the financial district and were surrounded by skyscrapers. 

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” he complained, messing with the suit jacket he was wearing with one hand, peacoat already off and draped over his arm. They were both dressed up in formal wear, Louis opting for black slacks and a polka dotted dress shirt under a blazer whilst Harry wore a grey ensemble with a soft lilac shirt offering a pop of color.

Louis squeezed Harry’s hand that was entwined with his own. “It’s still going to be lovely, Harry. You are just the absolute worst at being subtle.”

Harry glared down at him, not actually mad, but keeping up the facade.

Going onto his tiptoes, Louis kissed his pouty lips lightly. “Chin up, love. Happy days.”

The elevator was opening when the Alpha finally broke and cracked a smile, leaning down to kiss Louis again before leading him out with a hand on the small of his back.

The reception room was dimly lit and surrounded by dark walls as Harry gave his name for the reservation. They checked in their coats as well, and as soon as they entered the actual bar and restaurant, the entire space was covered in floor to ceiling windows. 

They were led over to a round booth against the edge and in the corner, a request made by Harry. Louis slid in first, mesmerized by the view in front of him. What felt like all of London was displayed in front of them, skyscrapers and landmarks alike. The Tower Bridge was just to their right 

“This is gorgeous, Harry,” Louis said when Harry slid next to him. He instinctively cuddled into the Alpha’s side and Harry put his arm over him.

They ordered a few rounds of drinks first from their waiter, wanting to prolong this experience as long as they could. They were all delicious and fruity, much to Louis’ preference, and he felt himself give off a warm glow once he finished his second glass.

It was kind of ridiculous and Louis might’ve felt embarrassed if he wasn’t so happy that they stayed so close to each other even while eating the multiple small plates they ordered to share. Harry’s arm never left it’s spot around his shoulders and Louis was hardly ever more than four inches away from him. 

After they were finished eating, Louis finally realized why they had gone out to eat so early. At first, he thought Harry wasn’t able to get a reservation for later in the evening, but once he saw the sun begin to go down, he just knew it was intentional. Winter meant that the sun was setting considerably early in the night, so even a 6 o’clock reservation would have been too late. Now, they got to experience the sunset and the city light up beneath them. If the view was gorgeous before, now he didn’t even have words.

He was on top of the world. Here, next to Harry, looking out over London - he couldn’t imagine a better way to spend his birthday. How quickly his entire world has changed, his entire mindset. 

Louis turned into Harry, peeling himself away from the window for a moment and tucking himself into Harry’s arm fully. “I love you,” he breathed gently, surrounded by the noisy hum of the busy restaurant and bar.

Harry turned his head down to look him in the eyes, having been gazing outside watching the sun dip below the skyline as well. Even through the racket, he was so tuned to Louis he heard his soft words. 

“I love you, too,” he responded and kissed the top of Louis’ head, tightening his arm around his shoulders. 

The moment lingered before Harry pulled away for the first time all night, reaching into his front trouser pocket to pull out a small parcel and placed it on the table.

“Oh, Harry, don’t be so silly. You didn’t have to get me anything, you’ve already gifted me so much this courtship.”

“Your birthday happened to fall during Offerings of our courtship. You would be the silly one for expecting me to come ill prepared.” He pushed the parcel further towards Louis, insisting he opened it.

Louis reached out and began to open the carefully wrapped gift. His heart began to race when he saw a velvet box and he tried very hard not to feel guilty over the fact that Harry was gifting him yet another expensive item.

The box opened with a pop and inside were two small rings with letters encrypted on the outside. One of them had two small, blue stones in the band and had an “L” and the other two small green with an “H”. After looking at them closely, he realized they were two different sizes.

“I know it’s a little selfish,” Harry started to explain, taking the box back and first reaching for the blue band. He slipped it on his own hand before grabbing the green and gently putting it on Louis’ right hand ring finger. “But, I wanted to be able to think of you at any moment in time. Even though we aren’t married or mated yet, it feels wrong to not carry a piece of you with me. I hope you feel the same way.”

Louis looked down at his hand and knew if it could, his soul would be shining right out of his chest right now. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“Happy birthday, baby. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my time celebrating you.”

Going home to Doncaster, he felt like a different person. Lottie and Rosie had been staying in Amsterdam for the past four months whilst Lottie worked on a movie set, so he hasn’t _seen_ any of his family since he began courting Harry.

The Alpha wasn’t accompanying him, but he was in constant contact through texts ever since they parted this morning. Though Harry had taken him home the previous night after their date, he picked him right back up very early this morning to get him onto a train before he started his own drive to his mum’s. With promises of phone calls and FaceTimes throughout their short time apart, Louis still found himself pulled towards him since he hasn’t had to deal with being apart yet. 

Harry had gifted him one of his sweaters when Louis told him how much he was going to miss him, so he was wearing it now under his coat and the scent was helping calm him a little. That, and the ring that was now on his right hand that he found himself tracing over and over again.

His mum wrinkled his nose when he dipped into her car at the train station. “You stink,” she commented, instead of greeting him.

“Mum!” he affronted, self consciously adjusting his clothes before putting his seatbelt on.

“Well, it’s true!” she defended, shrugging her shoulders in apathy.

“Hello to you too,” Louis joked, knowing she wasn’t really offended by his scent. It would probably just take her some time to get used to the fact that he smelled deeply of Harry now.

Starting to drive off, she spared him a glance, “Merry Christmas, lovey.”

The roads were absolutely quiet still, the sun having just started to rise over the town and most people still in bed. 

“Well, we better pray that the twins aren’t up yet because if so, they’ll have absolutely wrecked the living room already. It has been such a challenge trying to get them to stay out of the gifts that we ended up hiding most of them in our closet until late last night.”

“Oh, little loves are excited for Santa to visit.”

“Well, _Santa_ is exhausted and forgot how much work Christmas is when you have actual children and not just adults that act like children.” She did look tired, once he observed her profile a little closer. But, without fail she still had this glow about her that he didn’t remember her having when he was growing up. It wasn’t as if she magically turned into a different person when she met her Alpha - the right Alpha, but it was as if Dan gave her more chances to truly shine as the person she always had been. Louis was thankful to him every single day.

He sniffed in mock sadness, “so rude this morning, mum. You should be pleased to see me.”

“Oh, I am so happy that you’re home, boo. I was worried you were going to skip over us completely to spend time with your Alpha. I wouldn’t have blamed you, honest, but I’m glad you’re home.”

“It’s Christmas, mummy. Wouldn’t miss it for the world _or_ an Alpha.”

It seemed everybody in his family has something to say about his scent, even down to Doris who wrinkled her nose in confusion earlier when he first walked in and asked, _“who that?”_ as soon as he was in the door.

Lottie was much less tactile when her and Rosie arrived with arms full of presents, wrinkling her nose just like their mum did earlier. “Jesus, Louis. Did you actually _bathe_ in his scent?” 

His mother, the traitor, didn’t even get on to her for her comment and instead just began to laugh as if it was the most humorous thing she’s ever heard.

He spent most of the morning blushing at their comments and questions, expecting them all, but still being slightly overwhelmed. Luckily, it _was_ Christmas after all, so there were quite a few distractions that he could hide behind when he felt the questions getting too personal.

Doris and Ernest tore into their presents like little hurricanes once everybody was present and gathered, leaving a thoughtfully decorated tree looking like a disaster zone when they were finished. 

His mum and Dan truly spoiled them to bits, sometimes a little _too_ much for Louis’ taste, but he would never speak that opinion out loud. 

They were most excited, it seemed, for the small electronic car that fit the two of them perfectly. It was modeled after Jay’s own, even down to the red color.

“Mummy, want to ride it please!” Ernie insisted, patting the box once everyone had finished opening their presents. 

“Yes, mummy, please!” Doris echoed, standing next to her brother in solidarity.

“Oh love, I have to work on lunch. Maybe your father could open it?” she asked, looking towards Dan expectantly.

Lottie interrupted from her spot on the loveseat, cuddled up to Rosie and already eating some Haribo she received in her stocking, “Nonsense! Louis and I started the tradition of being on toy duty and we’re not going to quit not, right?”

Louis glared up at her from where he was gathering wrapping paper to recycle, realizing he had no choice. “Right.”

“You sneaky, sneaky Alpha,” Louis said into the phone in lieu of a greeting as soon as he heard the line pick up. He had just run upstairs to grab a pair of socks before they started a movie because his feet were chilly when he found a wrapped box tucked into the suitcase with his name on it. Before he even opened it, he pulled his phone out to call Harry.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Harry responded, amusement clear.

“When did you even have time? You’ve never even been inside of my house.”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m so confused,” Louis admitted, turning the box as if it would give him a clue.

“Admit I’m good at surprises,” Harry said, finally giving in that it was him.

Louis started giggling so hard at Harry’s tone, truly like a child. “ _That’s_ what this is about?”

“Of course that’s what this is about! I was just going to hand it to you, but after the disaster yesterday, I had to get creative and slip it in when I dropped you off at the train station this morning. When I was getting your suitcase out of the boot.”

“Don’t you dare call yesterday a disaster, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard,” Louis reprimanded, knowing he wasn’t fully serious. “But very sneaky, maybe you are good at surprises.”

“ _Thank you._ Did you like it, though?”

“Oh, well I haven’t opened it yet,” he said, starting to peel at the paper. When he didn’t hear a response, he looked at his phone indignantly to realize the Alpha had hung up on him. Almost immediately though, a FaceTime request came through. Louis got creative and propped his phone on the end of his bed with the bundled up duvet and swiped to accept the call.

Harry’s face greeted him, beaming. “I wanted to see you open it since this is our first Christmas together.”

Louis blushed, giddy to see the Alpha even after mere hours of not seeing him. He had to do a double take when he looked closer at his screen. “Where are you?”

He laughed a little bit in response, turning the screen briefly to show he was in the toilet. From what Louis could see, he was probably seated on the end of the bathtub. “Had to hide from the family. We’re at my nan’s house right now and everyone would swarm to get a look at you, but I want this to be just our moment.”

“Harry, you really didn’t have to get me anything else. I think you’ve hit your quota,” Louis insisted, beginning to take the wrapping paper off. It was a decent sized box that had a lid that lifted off the top.

“This one isn’t even that much. Are you ever just going to let me buy you nice things?” Harry joked.

“No,” he replied, rather seriously. But once he got the lid off, he was gushing. First, he pulled out a burgundy, velvet smooth blanket and rubbed it against his cheek. It smelled exactly like the Alpha and he wasn’t ashamed to take in a huge breath of it. “It’s perfect, Harry!” 

Harry looked at his own screen, longingly watching Louis continue to open his gifts and happy to see Louis’ ring peek in and out of view. He secretly took screenshots the entire time, wanting to keep his reactions for as long as he could. The rest of the presents weren’t huge because he knew Louis was having a hard time accepting so much, but there were a few smaller presents throughout the box. 

Once done opening his own presents, Louis admitted, “Um, you actually have something in your suitcase too,” after they spent a couple of moments in comfortable silence, not wanting to hang up.

“What?” Harry exclaimed, standing up in excitement. 

Louis looked sheepish. “I kind of did exactly the same thing when I put my bag _into_ the boot of your car.”

Harry began to respond, but the door next to him started to be knocked on by multiple people.

“Uncle Harry!” his two nieces called, banging on the door repeatedly. “It’s time for pudding!” 

“Go on, Uncle Harry. Just text me when you open your gift later,” Louis said, biting his lip fondly.

“You mean right now?” he joked before turning his head. “Alright, you little monsters. Give me one minute!” he called into the door.

His nieces squealed and ran back towards the kitchen where they had come from.

“I love you,” Louis said, hands full of the blanket again.

“I love you too. I’ll call you tomorrow morning?” 

“Please.”

Louis was only just beginning to head back down the stairs, socks on his feet and new blanket in his hand when he received a text from Harry. It was a picture of him in the forest green, cashmere sweater Louis had saved to buy him, giving a big thumbs up. 

“ _Thanks, baby!”_ the next text read. And then, _“I love you.”_ And then, _“I Miss you.”_

It felt _so_ ridiculous to miss him so much, but Louis had to try very hard not to well up in tears before he walked into the living room to be with his family.

That Christmas evening, he found himself in the same bedroom as the past two years, and not dissimilar to the past years, he allowed his mind to drift into thoughts about his future. But this time, it was different. This was the last year he would spend alone, he was confident in that thought. He knew that he and Harry would be mated next year, spending the night in a hotel as a sign of respect to Dan and his mother’s nest. Or maybe even in Holmes Chapel near Harry’s family.

This year, he was able to grab his phone and dial Harry’s number, even though they had spoken to each other a mere couple of hours before. Even though it was nearing midnight.

“Louis? Hello? Is everything alright?” the Alpha asked, his voice thick with concern and sounding like he had been woken up.

Louis did feel a little guilty hearing Harry sound so flustered, perhaps he should’ve sent a text first, but he snuggled into his blankets - the throw Harry gifted him soft against his cheek. He clutched the phone to his ear and responded in a small voice, “Just fine, Hazza. Just wanted to hear your voice again. Feels so strange being so far away from you.”

There was some shuffling on Harry’s side, Louis supposed he was laying back down in his own bed and he hummed. “It’s nice to hear from you.”

Louis smiled to himself, eyes closing. He was trying very hard to not whine because he knew that Jay and Dan would be able to hear. “Next Christmas, we’re going to be mated,” he said, with a confidence he rarely felt.

“That is a promise, sweet Omega.”

Louis fell asleep with the phone pressed against his ear, neither one speaking much. A new ease had washed over him because he knew with everything in him that it was not much longer he would have to live without his mate - without Harry.

-

Once Louis and Harry arrived back in Cambridge after Christmas Day, the two of them were glued to each other’s side since they both didn’t have to work. Their courting was still going strong, just in a new way since they were spending more time alone together.

On New Years Eve, they found themselves at Niall and Liam’s apartment. The two were hosting a rather large party and made it very clear that the couple was expected to attend because they haven’t _properly_ introduced themselves as a pair. 

They were both dressed to the nines. Harry wore a matte, black suit and matching dress shirt that seemed to be so dark that it gleamed in the light somehow. His hair was artfully tousled as always, but contained a little bit more product than his normal day to day look. 

Louis next to him looked a picture with a deep burgundy dress shirt on paired with black trousers and black suspenders that made his arse look _sinful_. 

Liam was the first to notice the two walk in, champagne glass in one hand and the other wrapped around Niall’s waist as they spoke to two Betas. He nudged Niall gently and pointed his head in their direction, over the small crowd of people mingling.

After making their excuses, the two hosts began making their way towards Harry and Louis, both looking exquisite in their matching emerald suits.

It was hard not to be nervous, but Louis had yet to have to introduce himself to Harry’s friends as the Omega that the Alpha was courting. Even though they weren’t Debuting yet, this almost felt like practice.

Luckily, Niall knows how to keep the tone light and was the first to speak when they were close enough to be heard over the music playing in the background. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the couple that proved to me that Liam is about as observant as a pinecone,” he smirked, not bothering to look at Liam when he objected to the statement.

The two couples exchanged handshakes and began to make small talk about their respective Christmases. It was weird for Louis to be talking to Niall so formally, since most of their interactions were usually filled with sarcasm and banter.

“Oh, Louis. Your old beau is here,” Niall said dismissively, making Louis think that maybe the banter wasn’t as absent as he thought.

“Who?” Louis, Liam, and Harry asked simultaneously, each with very different tones.

Niall laughed lightly. “Nick Grimshaw, of course. He’s off somewhere in our home telling someone about the different uses of a beet.”

Louis rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to smack Niall across the head. “Nick Grimshaw was never my anything, so please don’t insinuate that he was.”

Next to him, Harry shifted uncomfortably. Ever since he found out that Nick had the nerve to ask Louis on a date before he ever got the chance, it was hard to keep his composure next to the fellow Alpha. Which was exceedingly difficult as they worked together almost every single day.

Niall only laughed louder. “Oh, I know he wasn’t, but it just makes me giddy to think you had the honor of turning him down.”

“Don’t be mean, Omega,” Liam chided, looking mildly disappointed by the Omega’s words.

Having the decency to look a little apologetic, Niall mumbled a “sorry” to the group.

It was as if he heard them speaking of him, he appeared so suddenly, towering over Niall as he approached the group from behind him. 

“Harry, you must introduce me to the Omega you’re courting. I’ve been so curious to see who caught your eye,” the Alpha said in lieu of a greeting. He seemed to short circuit when he made eye contact with Louis and made the connections in his head. “Mr. Tomlinson, what a surprise,” he finally commented after a brief pause.

Louis gave him a small smile, trying not to have it come off as too much of a pity look. “Mr. Grimshaw, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Harry was tense next to him, but he even managed to say, “I believe you two have already met,” without malice in his tone. Barely.

Liam looked massively uncomfortable, but Niall was soaking up the awkward introduction like a daytime drama. 

“Yes, well, how funny,” Nick commented, absolutely no humor in his voice. He glanced across the room quickly and rushed to make his excuses. “I must go introduce myself to Louise’s Omega as well. Nice seeing everybody though.”

He was gone just as fast as he arrived, Niall letting out a giggle whilst the rest of them sighed in relief that it the interaction was over.

30 seconds to midnight, Louis and Harry were crowded in each other’s space whilst waiting for the final countdown to the new year. 

They barely made it past “five!” before they were kissing, much too eager to celebrate together.

-

The first time Louis felt unsure about the entire relationship was the night of Harry’s birthday. The Alpha had been busy with all of the last minute preparations for the exhibit that was opening in a mere two weeks, but he always made sure to communicate with Louis.

Tonight, however, Louis was at a loss for what he was supposed to do. He wanted to see the Alpha, to celebrate with him after all Harry had done for his own birthday a few months prior. With their Offerings period still going, Louis had wrapped quite a few small gifts for the Alpha to open, but he hasn’t heard from him in almost two days now past simple “good morning” and “goodnight” texts.

It was abnormal to go so long without hearing from him properly, their Tuesday and Thursday tea dates were dwindling and Harry was no longer calling him to even simply talk on the phone.

Louis is trying very hard not to take it personally. The Alpha is _stressed_ and that much had been very clear any time he has seen him in the past month. The exhibit is all he can think about, talk about. Everything in Harry is focusing on his work that Louis can’t help but feel a little bit left behind.

It’s an insecurity he hasn’t felt in a while, with Harry’s constant praises of his wit and breadth of knowledge. But he feels stupid, like Harry is not telling him what’s going on because he doesn’t think Louis will understand. 

He knows that’s not true, and the premise is slightly ridiculous, because Harry has never acted in any way that would implicate that sort of superiority, but his mind has not always been rational.

It’s already 7 in the evening and Louis still hasn’t heard from Harry. He tried calling that morning, but settled for a _“Happy Birthday!”_ text when the Alpha didn’t answer. He bottles up his pride and tries calling one more time. 

When he’s met with Harry’s voicemail again, he decides to go ahead and leave a message this time. “Uh, hi Harry. Just wanted to say happy birthday? Not sure if you wanted to celebrate together, but I understand if you, uhm, don’t. I have a few presents for you, I guess I can save them for another time. Let me know when you’re free again, haven’t seen you in a while. Alright, well, happy birthday again. I hope you’re having a great night wherever you are.”

Once he hangs up the phone, he goes right into his bed, curling up much too early to be able to fall asleep, but he needed the comfort of his nest more than he has in a while.

It’s thirty minutes later when he hears a knock on the door. He drags himself out of his warm bed, trying not to whine, but wraps the duvet around his body. It’s probably Julie checking in on him, but he doesn’t have the energy to speak to her tonight. He’ll tell her such and she’ll be concerned, but he knows she’ll respect his privacy.

To his surprise, Harry is standing outside of his door, practically beaming he looks so excited. 

Louis shuts the door behind him, still not comfortable inviting Harry inside. The Alpha will probably think it’s because they are still in the early stages of courting, but Louis didn’t want to let him see his tiny apartment. 

“Happy birthday, Harry,” he greets, giving the Alpha a quick kiss.

“So sorry, love. I just got your message, but I’ve been so busy today I haven’t even thought about my birthday to be honest. I ran right over here though, so I could see you today. I’ve been trying to collect these embroidered shoes for the collection and finally managed to get them, so this is the earliest I’ve left the museum all week! Happy birthday to me.” 

He looked so proud of himself, of his achievement, that Louis couldn’t have the heart to be mad. “Wow, that’s great, Harry!” he enthused instead, trying to brush off his previous feelings.

“The shoes, Lou. _Oh, these shoes_ . They are the most gorgeous piece in the entire room and I can’t believe that James Glacier gifted these shoes to the museum. He even donated his handwritten catalog of everything. Silk taffeta, floss silk, _18th century_ \- oh, I could just go on!”

Louis gave him a tight smile, not quite reaching his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, noticing too late the shift in the air between them.

Trying to play coy, Louis responded, “what do you mean?”

“I feel like you’re upset. Has something happened at school? At home?”

“No, no, don’t be silly! I’m just a little tired.”

“Louis, please. Is everyone okay?”

“ _Yes,_ Harry. Don’t worry, everyone’s fine,” he assured. “I guess I just missed you. Feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Harry paused and his gaze seemed to go past Louis’ own as he fell deep in thought. “Omega, I have been neglecting you -”

“No, Harry! I’m just being silly. Please -”

Harry let out a small growl, startling Louis as he had never heard the Alpha react in anger this way. Shock must have been present on his face because Harry immediately tried to calm down. “Omega, please do not be frightened. I am not mad at you for speaking your mind. I am mad at myself for not realising how much I have been neglecting you. Our courting cycle is supposed to be the most joyful, sacred time of our lives and I am letting stress taint this experience.”

Louis felt himself turning red, not very happy with himself that he let his true feelings known. He planned on just dealing with everything until after the opening night gala the Fitzwilliam Museum was hosting. 

“I have never had to split my time between academics and something, or someone, else. Please forgive me for being so foolish,” he was almost begging - unnecessarily of course.

“Of course you are forgiven. I know you are busy, Alpha, and I know that your work is important to you. It is when you don’t communicate with me that I get anxious,” Louis explained gently, playing with the ring on his right hand.

“Let me make this clear,” Harry said, voice unwavering and gaze intense. “Nothing will ever be more important than you. Ever.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” he muttered back, eyes cast down to the floor.

 _“Louis,”_ Harry insisted, gently bringing Louis’ chin up so that he was looking at him again. _“Nothing_ will ever be more important than you. I would rather lose my career than ever make you feel neglected again.” 

When the exhibit opens, it’s like three tons of weight being lifted off of Harry’s shoulders. Sure, he’s a little nervous to give a speech in a few minutes and to hear everybody’s reaction to both the exhibit _and_ the book that published this morning, but the fact that the preparations were over was the biggest relief.

Louis is on his arm, radiating pride as he walks around briefly with the Alpha. He’ll have more time to get a closer look later into the night, but now they’re floating around and soaking everything in. He’s wearing a gorgeous _Gucci_ suit that Harry gifted him a few days prior, and even though it was much too extravagant and definitely not necessary, he still felt amazing in the luxurious fabric. The Alpha next to him was in the same brand, saying it was “good luck” to wear Gucci.

The music cutting off is their cue to walk back towards the stage area in the front room. It will be gone by the morning, but for now there is a small string band to the side and a microphone set up in the middle. 

Zayn Malik was making his way up to the microphone to begin the introductions, Nick would be second, and Harry would end the speech before everyone was welcome to go experience the exhibit fully.

“Good evening, everybody. And welcome to Treasured Possessions from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment at the Fitzwilliam Museum,” Zayn greets, pausing for applause as the audience greets him back. “My name is Zayn Malik and I work at the museum as a curator and it has been an honor working on this exhibit so closely.”

Zayn makes quick work of his part of the speech, seeming eager to get off the stage an invite Nick to take his place. 

Louis squeezes Harry’s hand when he notices him tense up as he himself is introduced. 

Harry leans down to give Louis a quick peck before walking up to the microphone. He clears his throat once before beginning his mostly-planned speech. “Hello, everyone. Thank you to my colleague Nick for introducing me. My name is Harry Styles and I have the privilege of saying thank you to all of you for coming. I’ll try to keep this short and say thank you to the donors and observers alike - whether you are here because you want to see where your money went or because you just want to appreciate the art, we are glad you could make it. Thank you to Cambridge for allowing us to take the time to put this exhibit together and believing us when we said it was worth doing. 

“And finally, but with the most importance, thank you to my Omega.”

Louis’ ears were ringing and every single person in the room disappeared around him. He thought that people exaggerated this feeling, but it felt like him and Harry were boh suspended in the air the moment Harry said _“My Omega”_ for the first time.

“Louis has been nothing but patient with me, even when I bother him over small details that are insignificant to him or talk to him about yellow, floral _shoes_ for hours. Before I met him, I don’t think I ever understood how deep relationships with objects could go.” Harry gripped the cross around his neck as he spoke, hoping that his words made any sense. 

“Before my Omega gifted me with this necklace and gave me the honor of courting him, I wasn’t able to truly understand my own job. He opened my world to the history I had already memorized, to objects when I couldn’t understand why they were so sentimentalized by my own ancestors. Because if anything in previous worlds has ever meant half as much to any singular Alpha, Omega, or Beta as this necklace means to me then it is worthy of being remembered. It’s worthy of being displayed in this room.

We hope to shed a new light onto old objects with this exhibit and hope you take away a sense of pride in the everyday objects you own at home. Thank you, please enjoy your night.”

There was a roar of applause after Harry finished his speech, most people shocked by the words he shared. Harry wasn’t exactly known as the most sentimental Alpha at Cambridge. 

Quickly after he stepped off of the small stage, Harry rushed over to Louis and floored the Omega when the first thing out of his mouth was, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m _what?”_ Louis asked, looking around like he was being tricked. Harry’s speech left tear stains on his cheeks it was so beautiful, why was he apologising?

“I just- I couldn’t wait,” Harry stressed, running a hand through his hair out of frustration and ruining the neatly styled curls. 

“For _what?_ Harry, I’m genuinely confused - your speech was beautiful,” Louis admitted. He felt as if he was missing some critical information here.

“We haven’t moved to part three yet because I’ve been so busy with this bloody exhibit, but I’ve been holding onto this necklace for a _month_ now,” Harry explained, pulling a box out of his pocket and making Louis gasp softly. “Yet I had the _nerve_ to call you “ _My Omega”_ like it was my right-”

He continued to rant over his own actions, but Louis finally understood why he was upset with himself and felt himself rolling his eyes. “Harry, you _oaf_ , I am your Omega.”

 _That_ shut him up quickly and Harry looked into Louis’ eyes for more confirmation. “You’re sure?”

Louis brought his hand up to cup Harry’s cheek, something the Alpha did to him often. “I am your Omega just as much as you are my Alpha. I love you so much, Harry. This necklace is probably beautiful, but I don’t need it to know that much.” 

Harry huffed in relief, closing his eyes and leaning into Louis’ palm - letting the words hang in the air. Even through the constant buzz of chatter around them and the small string quartet playing in the corner, Louis’ words seemed to echo in the museum. “I love you too,” he finally replied. 

“Now show me the necklace, silly Alpha. Let’s start our Debut today - here.”

Now that the attention really was on the velvet box, Harry’s fingers fumbled with it, but he finally opened it to reveal a rose that was identical to his own ring. He had commissioned it after Christmas last year, showing his ring as an example. 

“Harry,” Louis whined softly, eyebrows furrowing in complete endearment. “It’s everything I could’ve possibly wanted.” 

Standing there, even in such a public place, they were both brought back to almost a year ago when Harry told Louis about the story behind his own ring and the significance it held to him. 

“I am going to be a good Alpha for you, Louis. Because of you. And I will tell you over and over until I can’t speak anymore, but you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

-

“So, you really don’t have roommates?” Louis asked for the fifth time it seemed as they walked up to the entrance of Harry’s home. It was just surreal to him that the Alpha had an entire family home to himself.

Harry just laughed lightly at the Omega’s incessant questions - even before they walked into the house.

The two of them were now a month into their Debut, and ready to begin spending more time alone and in each other’s respective homes. The introduction to their parents had gone so well that now they were just coasting it felt like. 

“Oh, how cozy your fireplace looks!” Louis exclaimed as soon as they passed the threshold into Harry’s house. He stepped around the loveseat couch and coffee table to peer into the fireplace, inspecting it carefully before turning around and grinning widely at the Alpha. “I have a furnace in my kitchen for the whole top floor apartment, so sometimes in the winter I like to do my work right next to it. How lovely it must be to have an actual fire!”

Something primal rumbled in Harry’s chest, pleased to hear that the Omega found his home suitable for his needs and before he could stop himself, the next words out of his mouth were, “I have another in my bedroom. I’m able to keep it quite warm in here.” He _was_ able to prevent himself from saying, _“I’m able to keep you warm,”_ to the Omega - but barely. He hoped it was implied anyway.

Louis’ head whipped around towards Harry in surprise, ignoring any implications and going for a more humorous response. “ _Two_ fireplaces! What a luxurious life you live, Professor Styles - I’m sorry - _Doctor Styles_.”

“Well, uhm,” he stuttered, “I guess you could call it that.” Harry’s cheeks warmed in embarrassment, not used to showing off to, well, anyone. It wasn’t as if he was a celebrity to the everyday world. His notoriety was only known in very specific crowds and students who he either taught or who had to buy a textbook he had written. Even after all the time he had spent with Louis and how well they knew each other now, having the Omega in his home for the first time made him feel a little overwhelmed.

Quick to change the subject off of himself, Harry stepped towards Louis and reached out his hands. “I could take your coat if you’d like? And we could light the fire before tea since you’re so keen.”

Louis nodded his head and shrugged off his coat and handed both it and his scarf for Harry to hang on the coat rack by the front door. “I’ll put the kettle on and start on tea if you want to light the fire? I’d probably be rubbish at that, so best stick to what I know,” he suggests, moving towards the kitchen. He obviously hadn’t been in Harry’s house before, but the open concept of the bottom floor meant he could see the kettle on one of the brown, wooden countertops near the stove.

“That’d be lovely, Louis. Tea and sugar are in the tins, mugs above the sink. Please, make yourself at home.”

They both got to work on their tasks, Louis making the tea in a matter of minutes. He did pause in the fridge when he noticed both a half empty carton of almond milk and a brand new pint of whole milk. He _knew_ Harry didn’t drink the stuff himself, but tea has become such a part of their routine, perhaps the Alpha had bought it especially for Louis. Presumptuous of himself to think, he supposed, but probably not off the mark being how thoughtful he had found Harry to be so far in their courting. 

He too was still finding it hard to believe that he was here, inside of Harry’s house. The confidence and teasing he’s initiated so far have been a bit of a charade. Inside, he still feels like a nervous, teenage omega. 

In fact, this is the first time he’s ever been alone with an alpha male in their home. Before, with Finn, every piece of their “relationship” had taken place either in their high school or in another very public place. 

Now, here, he’s surrounded by only Harry - his _Alpha_. Only his scent surrounding him and only his company to share. Louis feels like he’s getting a small piece of ownership to this house today because he also knows he’s the first omega to step foot in it. 

(And deep, deep down he can already picture himself here permanently - making tea for Harry and himself after they get home from work. He tries to quiet this part of his inner omega, who wants to rub against the walls so his own scent mingles with Harry’s _right now_. He’s refraining - self control and all that.)

“Alright, darling?” 

Louis jumps a couple inches into the air, having been daydreaming while leaning against a kitchen counter. 

Harry looked slightly concerned at his reaction, but Louis assured him, “just daydreaming. You know how I am.” 

Harry’s eyebrows unfurled almost completely and his mouth quirked up. “That I do. I wish I knew what you were dreaming about.”

Louis felt himself blushing. He turned around and picked up the two mugs of tea, gaining confidence, before turning back around and handing one mug to Harry. “Most times, it’s about you. Us. Our future.”

He began to walk towards the living room before Harry responded, the kitchen feeling much to small to stand in with the size of what he just said. The fire was starting to pick up and Louis plopped down on the loveseat directly facing it.

Harry followed his lead and sat down next to him, thigh brushing Louis’ own. 

“No TV?” Louis inquired, just now noticing the space was bare of the common entertainment. 

Harry looked around too, as if noticing too, “no. I think those things melt your brain. That’s why I have it in the bedroom.”

Louis snorted under his breath, “guess you’ll have to entertain me then, Styles.”

With a gleam in his eye, Harry responded with, “Let’s talk about those daydreams, hmm?” 

If only to see the Omega blush again. 

“To be honest, it’s a lot of - well - _this_.” Louis gestured to the room around them with his free hand. “Us. Here, or somewhere like it. But, you know, more permanently.”

Harry couldn’t contain himself anymore after hearing his words. He put his own cup down to throw his arm around Louis, cuddling the omega close to his body. “It feels unnatural to be apart from you already. Here we are enjoying tea and I’m already dreading when you leave tonight. I know we have to finish courting for our bond’s strength, but I also know that my Alpha has never been more certain of anything since I presented.”

Louis nuzzled his nose into Harry’s chest and up to his neck, scenting the Alpha and calming his nerves. Hearing him say that he was just as invested as Louis was, that was exactly what he needed to hear. A high pitched whine, delicate and _very_ needy escaped his throat before he could stop it. 

“Shh, Omega. Why do you whine at me?” Harry asked, becoming concerned again. 

“I’m just so - so relieved, I guess. So happy. I’ve never felt like this before and it feels overwhelming sometimes.” Louis couldn’t believe his own words, he had never been so honest with another person before. Usually he tried to keep his composure, lest he look like a vulnerable omega. He pressed further into Harry’s neck, not wanting to remove himself from the place he felt the safest. 

“It is remarkable,” Harry responded, “how perfect this feels.”

“Doesn’t that scare you?” His voice is so soft, but Harry hears. And understands. 

“No. I thought it would, but I was stupid and arrogant, wanting to be a great _Alpha_ to the world and show everyone how smart I was. I just was missing you. I needed to be a great Alpha to you. I understand that now.”

-

It’s the end of April when they talk about moving in together - in the quiet of the night, wrapped up in blankets and each other’s limbs. The fire was almost out next to the bed, having been started hours before when they first came up, and the TV played the closing episode of Come Dine with Me.

The couple is in the last stage of mating and their future lives together don’t seem so distant anymore. Domestication so far, to Louis, felt like a dress rehearsal for living as a bonded pair. He was over at Harry’s house more than his own and every day he was _so_ relieved to see his Alpha after work, like they had been apart for ages. 

Louis grew quiet after Harry asks him formally - _permanently_ \- to move in. He knew that there was nothing he would like more in the world than to be surrounded by this Alpha for the rest of his days, in the morning and night, and without ever having to go to another place he calls home. In spite of these certainties, what comes out of his mouth is, “but what about Julie? She’ll be without a tenant.”

“She’ll be just fine, Lou,” Harry says, a small laugh in his words. “I’m sure she’ll find another Omega in need of some attention -”

“Hey -”

Harry tightens his arms around Louis’ small frame, his own chest pressed against the omega’s back. He leaned in even closer, lips against Louis’ ear now, “But for now, I’ll be giving you plenty of that in _our_ house.”

A blush, pink and proud, falls across Louis’ cheeks because he knows that to be true. He twisted his neck to place a kiss underneath Harry’s jaw, feeling the stubble rough against his lips. “You know my answer.”

And it’s true. They both know, and have discussed, the longevity of their relationship, though less than a year into truly knowing each other. They could easily mate tomorrow and feel at peace with that decision. But for now, they were happy to enjoy the courting process and all that it held for them.

They settled again, Louis turning back around to look down at the TV, one hand clutching the rose pendant around his neck which he only took off to shower, and silence falling over them for _just_ a moment before Louis quips, “Do I have to pay you rent now? Because I hate to tell you this, but your house is a little out of my price range.”

“You will pay for nothing ever again if I had my way.”

“So groceries? I can handle groceries.”

“Nothing.”

_“Groceries.”_

A sigh. “Groceries.”

**_September, 2019_ **

It was the first school year in three years that Louis was not attending. Instead, he was making Harry an espresso before the Alpha went on to teach his first underclassman lecture of the year. 

They had mutually decided for Louis to take a bonding sabbatical for the next six months. It was any day now that they would officially bond, they wanted it to just happen without any extra stress on the exact day, and Louis would want to stay home nesting and nurturing the relationship for a few months. Harry would take a month off from the day as well, but would still do online lectures and assignments to continue his own classes.

Alphas were not offered the same period of time that an Omega is offered for such a sabbatical. It was similar to maternity leave for the Omega and having a recently bonded Omega be expected to work a normal schedule after bonding was unrealistic. 

Harry had long since found out about his financial issues too, something that used to embarrass Louis to his very core. But Harry had a way of making him feel pride in where he came from and how hard he had to fight to get where he is now, so what used to make him feel weak didn’t seem to faze him anymore.

It had now felt like _ages_ since they began courting and Louis was more ready to bond than he has been ever before. It was almost impatience now. Though he has loved wearing Harry’s necklace out in public, he was more ready to wear Harry’s bite mark. 

He’s been scheming in his head about the upcoming weekend, knowing his heat was approaching. His last having been one year ago since he was on suppressants. Taking them allowed him to only have one heat a year and to not have to, obviously, worry about birth control - not that he’s needed that aspect before.

He also knew that Harry’s rut should start on Sunday at the tail end of it. This _should_ be the perfect time to bond. When Louis was more lucid after the intense first two days of heat and before Harry was too lost in his rut. The overlap was clearly marked on their shared calendar, but Harry has been so insistent on the fact that they should just “let it happen naturally” that Louis wondered if he’s even thought about it.

It made him feel out of place now that he’s planning it, but as he started on his own tea, it’s all he was thinking about. Of course they’ve already had sex before, so that much he wasn’t worried about, it was just the anticipation and the not knowing. He thought that he agreed with Harry and didn’t want to plan everything, but it was driving him crazy.

Harry came down the stairs with clumsy, loud footsteps - a morning normalcy that Louis had learned to love. He came up behind Louis and wrapped the Omega into his arms, kissing at his scent gland and making Louis’ eyes roll back into his head. He did this practically every single morning and the effect never stopped working on Louis, whose mind turned into mush, leaving his worries behind.

Louis wakes up in a sweat, not feeling rested and instead feeling like he needed to itch under his own skin. A quick glance over to the clock tells him it’s two in the morning. His body was burning and he immediately felt desperate to touch the Alpha lying behind him in any possible way he could. His heat was here and he could already feel his slick leaking and sticky in his pants. Harry behind him wasn’t quite awake yet, but Louis could feel that his dick was already hard and there was a slight movement in the Alpha’s sleep as if he could sense what Louis needed.

A long whine leaves Louis’ mouth, one of his hands gripping Harry’s that was wrapped around him and the other reaching down to tug himself off frantically - just to take the edge off. 

He knows Harry’s awake when he hand is slapped off of his own cock and Harry starts to stroke him much too slow.

“Harry,” Louis whined, squirming and trying to buck up into Harry’s hand. It only takes a few strokes before Louis comes for the first time, but it’s not nearly enough. He needs Harry’s knot and his body knows it.

The Alpha behind him guides him onto his stomach, trying to be gentle and firm at the same time. Harry is flush behind him, body practically laying on top of him as he teases his fingers at Louis’ rim. He’s already stretched and absolutely leaking slick - ready. 

Louis pushes his arse back into Harry’s fingers, almost tempted to reach back and finger himself a little bit if Harry doesn’t get on with it. 

Harry pulls his body away briefly, making Louis cry out in distress, but it quickly turns into a cry of pure want as Harry begins to push into his entrance slowly.

“I’ve got you, Lou. I’m going to take care of you - give you what you need,” Harry promised before thrusting in all the way. It was unnecessary for them to take this any slower than they were, the animalistic sides of them taking over without pause.

It’s almost like coming down from a high, coming back into reality after a heat. Louis doesn’t ever remember much from his heats, this time being no different as he wakes lucid for the first time in almost two days. It’s the aftershocks now, the lingering neediness that begs to be close to his Alpha.

Harry is quick to greet him with a sloppy kiss, rolling on top of his body so they were both chest-to-chest. “Welcome back, baby,” he said once he pulled away for a moment, voice deeper than Louis ever remembered hearing before.

Louis hums, feeling exhaustion deep in his bones. But he knew that Harry was only just getting started, he could see the tension around his eyes, the need for _something_ , but not _quite_ yet. 

Despite his fatigue, he felt himself getting hard again as they kissed in the afterglow tranquilly. He spread his legs and brought them around Harry’s back, allowing the Alpha to enter him again. Everything felt achy in the best possible way, but a familiar burn.

He wasn’t thinking about it being the perfect time to bond, he wasn’t even thinking about the big picture at all. He thought it would be much more stressful, but Harry was thrusting into Louis’ used hole like he couldn’t get deep enough inside of him. Nothing too fast, but desperate in another way.

Louis felt Harry’s knot forming and beginning to tug on his entrance. He throws his head back in response, which exposed his neck in complete submission. “Alpha, please!” he whined, hands clutching desperately at Harry’s back.

It only took a few more thrusts before Harry’s knot formed and he began to come inside of Louis. The Alpha nuzzled at his neck for one brief moment before pulling back and looking intensely into Louis’ eyes.

The Omega let out a soft whine as he came again, spent. “Please, Harry. Please bite me,” he practically sobbed, feeling Harry’s knot tugging at his entrance.

Harry lingered for one more moment, looking at Louis’ face as he came, before he ducked back down into his neck and bit him - bonding him and _finally_ making them both feel complete.

-

Proposals don’t mean as much to Alpha and Omega pairs because bonding as mates far surpassed any laws of humans, but Harry still finds himself on one knee in front of Louis. It’s nothing extravagant, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Harry’s in nothing but his pants, Louis with a bathrobe around his naked body as they enjoy a lazy morning inside their nest together. 

“Harry!” Louis exclaimed. He always thought it was such a cliche reaction to place a hand over your mouth in shock during a proposal, but he found himself doing just that. “What are you-”

“Please, Omega. Let me speak before I lose my words looking into your gorgeous eyes,” Harry rumbled, one of his dimples coming into view as he gave a small crooked smile at his own words, but never looking away. “Louis Tomlinson, my Omega, my mate, my _soul_ \- I know that we already belong to each other in every single way we can, but a part of me is so selfish that I don’t think I can go on with you not sharing my last name. Will you marry me?”

**_September, 2021_ **

The beginning of the school year used to be nerve wracking for Louis when he was still insecure in his position as a teacher. Now, he’s been surrounded by the academic world for the past 5 years, even though he did take an extended bonding sabbatical for one school year. But the environment was more comfortable now than it had ever been before.

He didn’t plan on starting the new school year off by quitting his job.

Headmistress Calder was quiet in her seat, stunned while reading quickly through his letter of resignation.

“I understand it’s short notice and the position will have to be filled partially through the school year, but I am willing to stay until December to make the transition as easy as possible,” he explained, trying not to grimace. He would really like to avoid staying if he could.

She cleared her throat, giving him a curious look. “No, no. That won’t be necessary. I’m sure we can find a temp to fill your shoes, it seems like you’re eager to part with us sooner rather than later.”

Louis sighed in relief and stood up, eager to head home to his nest. “Thank you, Headmistress,” he said and stretched out a hand to shake hers. 

“Thank you, Louis. It was truly a pleasure to have you with us for the past five years,” she responded, and it actually felt genuine - something that surprised Louis.

He was just about on his way out of the door before he froze for just a second as he heard the headmistress say, “congratulations,” under her breath. He ran out of the school before he ran into anyone that he would have to talk to.

Louis was pregnant and he hadn’t told his Alpha yet. And now he was pregnant, unemployed, and still hadn’t told his Alpha yet. 

He wasn’t scared of Harry’s reaction, in fact he knew that Harry would be thrilled. Instead, he was scared of his own future.

Everyone had been right about him and about his insistence on an education because here he was leaving it all behind to raise a child. What had any of it been for?

He’s still struggling to find the answer and in turn has withdrawn from Harry since he went to the doctor two weeks ago. It’s like his brain and heart are fighting over how he should be feeling and how much he should tell his husband - his _mate._

He knew he couldn’t wait any longer though, so that night he tucked the small, first ultrasound picture into the spot where Harry’s bookmark was in the novel he was reading before bed.

After climbing into bed and snuggling up, the two of them both go to open their respective books and Louis held his breath as he waited for Harry’s response.

“Lou?” he whispered, voice choked. 

Louis peeked over and saw the sonogram picture held in Harry’s hands. “Surprise?” he offered sheepishly. 

“We’re gonna be dads!” Harry practically shouted, leaning down to delicately cradle Louis’ stomach as if something was there even though the bump was not yet existent. “My Omega, I cannot you what this means to me.”

All the extra things, the excess worry, and the details that they had to figure out - none of that mattered right now because him and Harry were officially a little family.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you again for reading and thank you again to BLFF for putting this together. It was so much fun to be a part of and I would absolutely love to participate again.
> 
> I do have a small sequel (approximately 5,000 - 10,000 words) planned. It will be up within the week of this publishing.
> 
> Let me know if you have any questions about the Universe or need any clarification!


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